


Footprints in the Sand

by SilverKitsune2017, thatdamnuchiha



Category: Naruto
Genre: (eventually) - Freeform, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst, BAMF Gaara (Naruto), Demon Summoning, Demonic Possession, Demons, Elemental Magic, F/M, Female Friendship, Female Gaara (Naruto), Female Uzumaki Naruto, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Fuuinjutsu, Fuuinjutsu Master Uzumaki Naruto, Gaara (Naruto)-centric, Konohagakure | Hidden Leaf Village, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Gaara (Naruto), Plot, Slow Build, Trauma, Uzumaki Naruto is a Good Friend, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:14:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23552152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverKitsune2017/pseuds/SilverKitsune2017, https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatdamnuchiha/pseuds/thatdamnuchiha
Summary: Gaara just wanted a chance to find her feet. It was a new city, a new start. But things in her life have a way of turning awry.Bound to a mysterious demon as its contractor, destined to fight against the forces of a dark god invading their land, she finds herself on a collision path with a very powerful contractor – Uchiha Madara. Not all is as it seems though, and enemies have a habit of lurking in places unseen.
Relationships: Gaara & Uzumaki Naruto, Gaara/Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 17
Kudos: 45





	1. The Race

**Author's Note:**

> thatdamnuchiha: First collab! Yay.
> 
> SilverKitsune2017 Author's Note: This is a collab between myself and thatdamnuchiha. Gaara and Naruto are both females in this story, but their names remain the same. Reviews are always appreciated.
> 
> Disclaimer: We don't own Naruto and there are some references to mythology in this one. We also don't make any profit off of our fanfics.

**Prologue: The Race**

“Do you want to hear a story, Gaara?”

Blinking owlishly, Gaara looked up from her bedsheets, eyeing up her uncle as he sat by her bed. “A story?” she echoed, tilting her head curiously. Books had been a long-time favourite of hers, filling the terrible silence which always lingered whenever she went to visit her father. They were a comfort of sorts – a way to escape from her estranged family. _Well, aside from her uncle,_ or so she thought, smiling at him.

 _He probably hated her for killing his sister though._ Everyone did. Though Yashamaru always hid it better than most. Gaara only appreciated him all the more for that. “About our gods,” he said, a small smile on his lips as he caught the curiosity in her gaze.

Chewing on her lip, Gaara nodded solemnly. “Please,” she said, remembering her manners – just as her father had taught her to.

“Right then,” Yashamaru said, adopting his storyteller’s voice as wind breezed in through her open window, making the curtains flutter and reveal that bloody red moon high in the sky. “Long ago, under a starless sky, there were thirteen gods and goddesses,” he spoke, flipping the page of the children’s book, only to be interrupted by Gaara’s curious lilt.

“But father said there were only twelve—” she burst out, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth as she realised what she’d done. “Sorry,” she mumbled sheepishly.

Her uncle only chuckled, continuing on with the story in the next breath. “The eldest of them decreed a race. One to decide on the order of which they would grant their blessings upon the new lands they had found. It was a simple race – a race through the mountains blocking their pass and to the shores beyond,” he said, flicking to the next page, and Gaara glanced curiously at the illustrations lining the pages he read to her. “The gods went to sleep that night, excited for the race tomorrow, for after races, there were always great feasts. One god in particular, was so very excited, though he wasn’t a very punctual god – so he decided to set a wake up call for himself. Content in his preparations he went to sleep that night… but it was after he went to sleep that the Rat God, too eager to claim first place, saw the call his fellow god had set for himself…”

Leaning forwards, Gaara frowned as Yashamaru paused in his storytelling. “Did the Rat God cheat?” Gaara stared at her uncle enraptured by his tale. Visions of ancient gods danced in the young child’s mind. Each more fantastical than the next. “Wouldn’t he get in trouble for that?”

“The Rat God was the craftiest of all the pantheon, so he saw no wrong in stealing away that wake up call, if only to give himself that much more of an advantage,” he continued, smiling as she edged that much closer to where he sat. “There had been no rules set. Proud of himself, the Rat God woke up early the next morning, heading to the start line to find only eleven other competitors waiting… Content that his ploy had worked, he set out with the others, crossing the mountains and rivers with strong currents, clinging to the kind Boar God when the waters grew too deep.”

Gaara made a face. "That wasn't nice of him to trick the other god like that." If she had been there, Gaara would have used her sand magic on the sneaky rat. Unlike most kids her age, she’d already started showing signs of magic. The only time her father ever looked happy with her was when Gaara conjured her sand.

“No… I guess not,” Yashamaru said. “But because of that… the Rat God won the race, and he earnt the right to send forth his blessing on the world. His was the blessing of knowledge – for without that he would never have risen to being as powerful as he was,” he continued, telling Gaara more of the gods and each of their blessings, sating the curiosity she knew was rooted in her seafoam green eyes. “But it was as the gods and goddesses began their feast that they heard a cry from beyond the mountains… and they finally realised what had been forgotten – who hadn’t made it to their feast.”

"Did the Rat God lose his spot for cheating?" Gaara watched her uncle with fascinated eyes. Her uncle had said they found out about what he'd done. So, they must have made him give up his spot, right?

Smiling sadly, he shook his head. “There were no rules set for the race, Gaara,” he explained gently. “The Rat God had simply used his cunning and craftiness to gain an advantage. So rather than admonishing the god, his fellow gods and goddesses praised him… But there was one who did not. The god who had been left behind.” Closing his eyes, Yashamaru continued, and Gaara frowned at the odd expression on his face. She couldn’t quite place it. _Sadness? Regret? Reluctance?_ “Angry and bitter about being left behind, the god cursed at the others – for he didn’t know who amongst them had ruined his chances. So rather than blessing that world… he cursed it…”

"That wasn't nice of them." Gaara's eyes narrowed, her lip curling in stubborn pout. "I don't blame him for being mad, but cursing the whole world is mean." She wasn't sure she liked this story. It was too easy to imagine her father as the Rat God. He always said getting the job done was what mattered most.

“That same curse still lingers today, Gaara,” he said, closing the book of fables and tales with a small thud, placing it on her bedside table. “But I shan’t talk to you about it… you would have nightmares if you knew of that curse… but I’ll tell you this,” he spoke, and she watched him curiously as he pulled her covers up to her chin. “That curse is why you can conjure sand… likely wind too, if you’re anything like my sister.” Gaara flinched at the mention of her mother. _It was her fault she was dead._ “For it was because of that curse that the final blessing bestowed upon these lands – the blessing of magic… the same blessing which gave us access to the Netherworld and connected our realms.” He stood then, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Goodnight, Gaara. Sleep well.”

"I don't understand. Magic is a curse?" Gaara laid on the bed, looking up at her uncle in confusion. It didn't feel like a curse. Her sand was the only thing that made her happy. Everyone else in their family was scared of her and she didn't have any friends. She didn't want any. What if she hurt them like her mother? "That doesn't make sense, but goodnight, Uncle." She wanted to say she loved him, but Gaara knew better. Who wanted a monster's love?

Pausing in the doorway, Yashamaru sighed. “It’s no curse, silly child,” he murmured, voice soft. “It’s a blessing. One given so we can protect our loved ones from the darkness which lies in wait beyond the mountains…”

Confusion danced in Gaara's eyes as she settled further against bed. She wanted to know more. "A blessing? The darkness?" she murmured, voice lost as the wind howled loudly outside. A yawn escaped her lips as her eyes felt heavy. She wanted to ask what darkness lay in wait, but sleep had her firmly within its grasp before she could.


	2. Arc One | The Academy

**Chapter I: The Contract**

It was time.

Gaara sucked in a deep breath, pushing down the nervous feelings roiling about in the bottom of her stomach like a pit of angry vipers. Taking Temari’s advice to move over to Konoha had been a good decision for her at the very least. She wasn’t too sure how her father was taking things, given he had always expected her to stay in Suna. _And learn from him._ Like she always had. Closing her eyes, she sucked in a quiet breath – careful of the overly exuberant blonde sitting next to her. The amount of cheeriness and happiness radiating from the girl was almost palpable. Gaara stared at her, certain the entire hall could the sheer happiness. It was as if she was the physical embodiment of sunshine, and she didn't know how to react to that. There were thousands of people sitting in the auditorium in plush red velvet seats, but her attention was always drawn to the blue-eyed blond like a moth to the flame.

She almost didn't notice when the red velvet curtains on the massive stage began to pull back. An elderly man had begun to make his way to the podium. An unnatural silence fell over the formerly jubilant crowd. Everyone was waiting with bated breath to see what the man would say. For whatever this man was about to say was the official start of their career as university students and would send them hurtling face first into their magical future.

“Welcome students, new and returning,” he spoke, voice resonating around the room without need for any microphone nor speakers. _Probably a sound-based demon contractor,_ or so Gaara thought as she sat there, watching as his eyes roamed over the crowd. Her father had drilled into her head the many different types of demon out there. _And the ones she would be most likely to form her own contract with._ “Now, I’m sure you first years wish to hurry and contract with your destined demons, but I’m afraid I have some announcements.”

The blonde next to Gaara pouted at that. “Boring, dattebayo!” she whined quietly, and Gaara rolled her eyes. _It seemed someone was very eager to summon their demon._ Not that Gaara couldn’t relate. They had all been waiting for years.

“First of all, I would like to welcome the young Professor Senju Tobirama to our staff – being a very accomplished contractor in both the water and the runic arts. Please give him a round of applause.” A white-haired man stood up then, his face young despite his unusual colouring, receiving the clapping with an oddly pained expression. _He probably didn’t like being in the spotlight._ Well, that was if he was anything like her. _Though Gaara doubted that._ Her father liked to remind her there was no one else like her. _After all, nobody else had killed their mother like she had._ Her shoulders sunk as the introduction continued, and Gaara sunk lower in her seat. “Now, first years – it’s time for you to attempt your summons. There should be a book under your chair which will explain the summoning process to you, as well as how you will form a contract with your demon.”

There was a rustling as all of the first years moved to take their books. “Neh, this is really cool, isn’t it?” the blonde said, turning to her with a beaming smile on her face.

Gaara allowed herself a small smile as she grabbed her own book, nodding. "It is. We're finally going to contract our demons." This was the day most of them had been waiting for their whole lives.

“I’m Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo! Nice to meet you,” she said, offering out her free hand. “Wanna go and get ramen from the cafeteria later together?”

Gaara knew she was likely gaping at Naruto like a fish, but she couldn't help it. No one ever asked her to join them for social activities of any kind. Granted a noodle dish wasn't her first choice in cuisine, but it was still an invitation. "A-Alright. We can do that." Temari and Kankuro were never going to believe this. Someone might actually be trying to become her friend besides her siblings.

“Yatta!” Naruto jumped for joy, and Gaara blinked at the odd sight. “But what’s your name?” she asked, leaning closer to her, blue eyes staring at her, wide and pleading. “You’re like, my first friend here – aside from the bastard… _but we don’t talk about him…_ because I’m gonna pound his arse—” Naruto paused, mid fist curling, seemingly remembering where and who she was with. “But anyway, what demon do you think you’re gonna contract?” she questioned, and Gaara could feel her head start the spin at all the questions and information directed her way. “My mum’s side of the family have all been contracted to kitsune demons – and they’re super awesome tricksters… and I’ve been pranking lots of people in Konoha since I was young… so mum’s pretty certain I’ll be contracted with one. How ‘bout you?”

She blinked slowly. How was it possible to rattle off that many questions in a single breath? Did Naruto possess some sort of magic that made breathing optional? Gaara paused before deciding to answer the questions in chronological order. "I'm Sabaku Gaara." The less than affectionate nickname had her curious, but Gaara determined it was better not to ask for clarification. She didn't want to risk alienating the only person who had extended the hand of friendship towards her aside from her siblings. "I don't know what demon I'll contract with, but I imagine it'll be affiliated with sand magic as that is my specialty. It's... stronger than it sounds." Most people thought sand magic was silly. Something children could use to construct elaborate sandcastles, but Gaara's powers quickly corrected that misconception much to their terror. "Kitsunes are nice..." Gaara didn't really have much of an opinion on them. Though foxes were cute and Naruto seemed proud of her family's heritage. So, it was best to compliment her affinity... _right?_ "As for me, I'll see what fate has in store for me. Hopefully, it'll be something powerful." Her father would accept no less.

“Huh.” Naruto blinked. “I don’t know any types of sand demons… wait no!” Her fist slammed into her palm, her book tucked under one arm as they started following the other students towards the private rooms for their summoning and contracting ceremony. “Dad said there was one which can create desert storms, and they’re really good for hiding people… but only in desert or dusty area though. But I’m sure there’s plenty of others!” She clapped Gaara on the back, and she winced at the force of her… _new friend?_ “You’ll get an awesome on no doubt… though we’ll have plenty of time to figure out our contracted abilities. Since, y’know, we’re gonna be together for the next three years!” she babbled excitedly, eyes seeming to sparkle with enthusiasm. “Neh, here’s to hoping we get assigned the same room? My mum got assigned to a room with Mikoto and now they’re _best_ friends. So… fingers crossed, eh?”

"That does sound promising. Perhaps I'll make a contract with that one." Gaara watched in awe as the blonde exuded enthusiasm. Would she ever be that happy about anything? The name Mikoto did sound familiar, though. She felt like she had heard it before. "And that'd be good." Gaara wasn't sure if she'd ever fully comprehend the bubbly tornado that was Uzumaki Naruto, but at least Naruto wasn't afraid of her. It would be preferable to a roommate that would cower in terror at the sight of her. "It'd be nice to know my roommate in advance."

“We’ll find out once we make our contracts,” Naruto said, all but vibrating with excitement as they both watched people enter the rooms. No one had left though, leaving Gaara to suspect there was another way out – if only to avoid the traffic of people trying to get into the summoning rooms. Nervous, she pawed at her book, wondering about the exact process. Temari had said the process was simple to follow, but Gaara wasn’t so sure. _What if she failed?_ Her father would never stand for that. _Besides, she had shown clear signs of magic, meaning she would at least contract with a demon, even if she didn’t have the power to materialise its body separately from her own in their dimension._ “You OK?” Naruto leant forward, concern shining in her sky blue eyes as she peered at Gaara closely. “You’re looking nervous… but you’re gonna do fine,” she said with a cheeky wink. “Like mum always says – it’s a women’s intuition.”

"I'll be alright. It's just a big moment." Gaara managed to shoot her new friend a nervous smile as they reached the front of the queue to enter the private rooms. "Anyway, I'll see you at lunch." She took a deep breath before heading inside the recently vacated room. It was time. There would be no going back now. She had to contract a demon or else... this had all been for nothing.

The door shut behind her with a quiet thud, and Gaara was left in the middle of a plain, red-walled room. The flooring was a simple grey stone, and it was all empty – aside from a small bowl and some bottles. Only one of them looked familiar, and that was the salt. She didn’t quite know what the inky liquid was for… _but the book was meant to tell her all of that,_ she remembered, flicking open the book she and all the rest of the first years had been given.

Gaara frowned, reading the instructions. "Okay. So I'm supposed to draw these symbols inside the salt and ink." She proceeded to mimic the bizarre shapes as best she could until they took form inside the circles of salt and ink. "Right. Now, I just need the drop of blood." She bit her thumb, drawing blood...allowing it to fall into the circle underneath her feet. "That should do it. Please work." Her heart hammered in her chest as she waited to see if something, anything would happen.

She could hear the rush of her blood in her veins, fear gripping at her heart and squeezing as silence was the only thing which met her. Closing her eyes, she winced. _Her father would not be pleased… not after the amount of time he had—_

Blinking, Gaara froze as a yellow film started to grow from the corners of her eye. Frantic, she rubbed at her eyes to no avail. _Was her demon making her blind or something?_ “This isn’t happening,” she whispered, opening her eyes, confusion making her brow wrinkle as she realised her vision was clear once more. But the room was gone. Instead of the four red walls, there was open desert, and rather than a stone flooring there was only sand. Sand which seemed to stretch for miles on end. Stumbling back, she looked around, eyes wild and wide as something latched onto her feet.

Tendrils of sand snacked around her ankles like vines, anchoring her in one place. “Silly girl,” the feminine voice echoed in her ears. “Stay in the circle.”

Her head snapped around, but there was no one there – only more and more desert, as well as a couple of dunes. “What do I do from here?” she asked the emptiness, flinching when she heard the rumble of thunder above. The clouds were heavy and coloured an odd grey-ish purple. Lightning flashed in them, and Gaara blinked as her shadow on the ground was lost in a much larger one for a single instant. She spun around again, but only sand dunes met her gaze. “Demon?” she called. “Where are you?”

There was no answer.

Pain rang through her skull then, a stinging sensation at her forehead making her hiss as she blinked once – and then the desert was gone. She was back in the boring room. She was still standing in the circle, though the ink was already evaporating and the salt had vanished.

Gaara exited the room in a daze, her forehead still throbbing as she sought out Naruto. It was actually a relief when she found the bubbly blonde. "That was strange. I don't know if it worked or not, but I saw and heard something. I was in the desert and a voice was speaking." She rubbed her forehead. _Why did it feel like it was on fire?_

She heard her new friend before she saw her. Though it was less seeing, and more being smacked in the face by a curtain of long blonde hair. “Gaara!” Naruto yelled, and Gaara winced at how loud she was being – as eyes turned to fix on her as she stood there dumbly. “How’d it go?” she asked, and Gaara frowned at the sight of the thin lines marring her face… they were like _whiskers_. “Sweet! We both have marks on our faces!” Naruto exclaimed, grabbing her by the arm. “Come on. You need to go over to this desk and report it… you should kinda be glad it’s on your face, otherwise you’d have had to go into that room there”—Naruto pointed at the door situated a short ways behind the desk she was being dragged over to—“and then you’d have had to like take off your clothes to find your mark. Dad told me someone once had one on his arse!” Giggling, Naruto lowered her voice, whispering in her ear conspirator. “I kinda hope that happens to that _bastard._ It’d serve him right for always being so uppity all the time.”

Gaara tilted her head, wondering if Naruto had heard a word she said. "I'm not sure. I mean I was teleported to the desert and I heard a voice. My forehead hurts like hell, but yeah. I guess it's good that we got facial markings. Your whiskers are...cute." Gaara was almost afraid to look at her forehead. She'd never really cared much about her looks, but it felt like she had been the victim of some horror movie and somehow made it to the credits. Was she bleeding? Probably not. Naruto would have said so if she was bleeding. Right? "But you're right. We should go file our reports." Even though Gaara wasn't sure what she was going to say really. "Are you ever going to tell me who this bastard is? That's the second time you mentioned him..."

“It’s the rune for love…” Naruto said. “Your mark that is. It’s super cute too!” she continued, smiling like she was on a permanent sugar high. _She certainly acted like she was on one too._ “My family has always been good with runic arts and the like. So… if you ever have any questions on that stuff, I’m your girl,” she mumbled, waving her hands around awkwardly as they approached the busty blonde lady behind the desk who was muttering curses about ‘too much paperwork’. Gaara swallowed as she realised she would be adding to the workload. “As for the _bastard…_ I’m guessing you’re not local to where I live… otherwise I’d have totally befriended you the second I laid eyes on you,” Naruto said, an impish grin on her lips. “He’s called Uchiha Sasuke – and he’s got a stick rammed up his jacksie, if you get me?”

Somebody grunted nearby, and Gaara blinked as she spied a black-haired teenager glaring at the both of them venomously. _What had she ever done to him?_ Gaara wondered, sticking close to Naruto as she led them to the desk.

“Yo! Granny!” Naruto greeted, smiling widely at the overworked desk lady.

One paler blonde brow twitched. “Call me that again, brat, and I will punt you through the nearest wall.”

“Aw. Granny Tsunade, don’t be like that,” Naruto said, pulling Gaara in front of her like a human shield. “This is my new bestie, she’s called Gaara, and her mark is on her forehead – rune for love. So like, can we get her welcome pamphlet… I wanna see if we’re in the same room!”

Finding herself the sole object of the honey brown-eyed stare, she swallowed nervously. “Please?” she offered, praying she wouldn’t get punted through a wall along with Naruto.

Tsunade snorted. “At least this one is polite,” she remarked, handing her a brown envelope titled ‘Sabaku Gaara’ in cursive black lettering. “Everything’s in there, brat. So run along,” she said, shooing the pair of them away. “I have better things to be doing with my time.”

“Ooh,” Naruto mumbled. “She likes you. Well, more than me, anyway. Though maybe it’s ‘cause I kept bothering her at the hospital when I was younger – that’s where she usually works, you see.”

Gaara nodded, slowly. It was a lot to take in. Naruto thought her mark was cute, had a rivalry with a boy named Uchiha Sasuke – was probably secretly in love with him like in all of Temari's trashy romance novels, and knew Tsunade from her childhood. "That's a first. Other than you and my siblings, I can't say anyone's ever really liked me." She'd take Naruto's word for it, though. The hyper blonde didn't seem capable of lying. "Maybe something in the pamphlet will explain what happened." Gaara doubted it, but she began reading anyway.

Naruto shrugged. “Demons all have different personalities, or so I heard… maybe it’s a shy one?” she offered. “I’m no expert on the matter though… My kitsune played a lil trick on me though, but it was really funny!” she said, chewing on her lip. “Though the desert probably means it’s sand based… I wound up in a forest. It was super creepy – but that was kinda the prank Kana pulled on me… But… first things first.” Naruto placed a hand on either shoulder. “We need to compare room numbers…”

"Maybe." It was hard for Gaara to imagine shy demons, but maybe they did exist. "I'm glad you and your kitsune are getting along." She glanced at her pamphlet again in order to answer Naruto's question. "Spiral Souls. Dorm number 91. I think that's on the edge of campus."

Naruto squealed, wrapping her in a bear hug, pulling her up of the ground before spinning them both in circles. “Roomie!” she cried. “We’re roomies!”

Gaara's eyes widened to the size of fully expanded pufferfishes. No one had ever hugged her before. "Yes, we are. Why are you embracing me so... energetically?"

“Because we’re gonna be besties!” Naruto said, nuzzling their cheeks together. “Oh… but if, like, I’m too touchy-feely just elbow me off… or ask me to get off,” she continued, grabbing by Gaara by the hand. “Uzumaki tend to be very touchy-feely in general. Even Mikoto was weirded out at first by mum… but we’ll be awesome friends… who knows, maybe I’ll help you with that shy demon of yours?” she continued, tugging her away to lead them both to the dorm, and Gaara could only let herself be dragged away by the blonde whirlwind. _Now this would be a story and a half to tell Temari and Kankuro._ “We need to stop by administration and pick up the bags we left there… and then Spiral Souls here we come!” Naruto bounced up and down on her feet. “They’re never gonna know what hit them, dattebayo!”

"It's alright. The people of Suna are just more...well, we don't engage in such public displays often." Gaara watched Naruto, feeling rather baffled by her hyper friend, but smiled all the same. At least someone liked her. "Yes, let's get our bags and see our dorms. I'm sure we'll figure out which demon I contracted with eventually and a hot shower sounds wonderful..."

Naruto grinned, breaking into a run, dragging Gaara behind as she hurried over to administration, asking for their bags in the next breath. “Mine’s orange,” she said, proudly gesturing to her flamboyant suitcase as she claimed it from the lady minding their luggage. _Which she probably would never lose thanks to its garish colouring._ “Favourite colour.”

"The colour suits you." It was a bold and loud hue. Gaara doubted another colour would fit her new friend better. As for her, there was only one colour that she could ever associate with herself. "Mine is the dark red one." The bag that was the same colour of blood.

 _“A wonderful colour,”_ the masculine voice whispered, and Gaara blinked. _That hadn’t sounded like Naruto._

“Neh, Gaara?” Naruto’s face – far too close to her own – made her startle. “You OK there? You kinda looked like you were spacing out for a second…”

Gaara looked around. Thinking someone else had said it. Maybe one of the boys from their year, but no one was looking at her save for Naruto. Who probably thought she was crazy now. "I'm alright. I guess I'm just hearing things."

“Huh.” Naruto blinked. “Who knows…? Every time there’s a blood moon my family always here’s weird things – but that’s like a family secret… mostly so the non-contractors don’t think we’re crazy.” She shrugged. “Contractors are weird. So like… welcome to the club, I guess?” Naruto smiled, waving the map to their dormitory in front of her face as they walked away from administration. “We can all be weird together!”

“Stop spouting weird bullshit, Naruto,” the black-haired guy from before said, scowling at the pair of them as they crossed path – all of them seemingly on their way to their respective dorms. “Not all of us want to have our intelligence degraded to that of a five-year-olds with all of the drivel you spout.”

“Get lost, Sasuke!” Naruto hissed, and Gaara blinked at the familiar name. _So this was the bastard her friend had been raging about._

“Hn. You don’t have to tell me twice, Dead Last.”

“Bastard!” Naruto yelled back, and then it was just the two of them once more as they walked up the flower-lined pathway.

"If you want me to bind him in the sand while you ravish him, I can do so. There is a lot of passion there, but I request that I be in another room while it happens." Gaara patted her friend on the shoulder. Naruto had said her people were the 'touchy-feely' ones.

Naruto blinked, a bright red blush blooming across her face. “What the hell, dattebayo?” she yelled. “Me and… _bastard_ … we’re not like that. Like, _no way._ I ain’t ravaging him and his prissy arse anytime soon.” Tilting her head, Naruto glanced at her. “But if you could bind him in sand… then I could draw a dick on his face in permanent marker… Hmm…” Her eyes lit up. “Well… this just means we have more options for pranking.” She giggled somewhat manically. “But we ought to be getting to our dorm soon… if I haven’t gotten us lost, that is.”

"I've no personal experience with the carnal arts, but I have been forced to read some of my older sister's romance novels." Gaara laughed softly at how flustered her outgoing friend was getting. "Thus far you and he seem to be displaying classical signs of a enemies to lover trope. I believe that's what it's called. If you wish to remain in denial though, perhaps we could arrange for some sort of prank. I did not like the way he talked to you and my sand can hold anything. It is my ultimate defense."

“You’re weird, Gaara,” Naruto mumbled. “But I think it’s a good weird… and that sand of yours sounds super-duper awesome. That _bastard_ won’t know what hit him!” she declared, just as a tall building came into sight. There were five floors, the outside a mixture of dark brick, white cladding, and tinted glass. A red spiral above the doorway told her they were in the right place, and Gaara fished through her pocket for her keys.

"Thank you. I think..." Gaara pulled out her key and opened the outside door. "This seems nice. Better than I expected really."

“Yeah…” Naruto said – too busy looking around at all the neat decorations along the corridors as they decided to take the stairs, rather than waiting for the lift. “It so… clean…” A sly glance was the only warning Gaara got before her exuberant blonde friend grinned. “Race you to the top floor!”

Gaara blinked, before she grabbed a better hold of her red suitcase, charging up after her friend. “No fair!” she yelled, panting as she charged up the glossy white steps, ignoring the interesting patterns on the black wallpaper on the stairwell and corridors in favour of chasing the wily blonde.

When she finally caught up to her friend in front of the door, Gaara noted it was white and with a plaque that had the number 91 etched onto it. "Whatever. Looks like we're here." She caught her breath, turning the key inside the door before opening it.

Naruto blinked alongside her, sprinting inside, and jumping on the bed on the far side of the rather spacious room. Gaara stared at her accommodation. It was larger than she had been expecting, given how much Temari had complained about spacing when she had first moved into her university accommodation. _Then again, maybe Konoha’s was better?_ Shrugging, Gaara followed her new roommate and friend inside, closing the door behind here with a small _click_. “Bagsie this bed?” Naruto pleaded, standing on top of the unmade bed.

"Yeah. Sure. You can have that one." Gaara smiled, moving to the other bed. It didn't matter which bed she got and it made Naruto happy. So, why argue?

“Thanks!” Naruto chirped. “But, neh, before we decorate our room, wanna check our schedules? Classes start tomorrow don’t they?” She pulled out the envelope holding her own welcome pamphlet inside. “I think I have—Yeah. I’ve got Senju Tobirama for Runic Arts first thing…” She raised an eyebrow. “How ‘bout you?”

Gaara pulled out her schedule, glancing at it. "It looks like I've got Professor Senju as well."

“Sweet!” Naruto yelled, leaping over to give her yet another hug. “This year is gonna be awesome! Though I’m kind of hoping the _bastard_ won’t be in those classes…”

She returned the hug with a soft smile. "I hope it will be and we'll have to see. He doesn't seem like the type to have an interest in the runic arts at least."

Or so she had thought – but lo and behold, Uchiha Sasuke was sitting at the front desk of the runic arts classroom the next morning, smiling smugly as they both arrived only seconds before the class began.


	3. The Classes

**Chapter II: The Classes**

Runic Arts was… complicated to say the least, and Gaara had the strangest feeling she would be asking for Naruto’s help a lot in the coming weeks. Her father had never brought up the study of seals or runes, meaning she was hopelessly out of her depth there – especially considering memorisation was a key part to the class.

They could be used for so many different things: from sealing objects, to creating protective arrays. The language was complex as well – and Gaara only had one rune memorised. The one on her forehead, and that was only because she had been staring on it, and how it stood out on her pale skin. It was as red as blood, and most people aside from Naruto seemed to find it eerie that the rune engraved there on her forehead to stay had been the one for _love._ What kind of demon chose that as a marking?

"Naruto, do you think you could help me go over some of these when class is over?" Gaara chanced a glance at her best and really only friend in the school as Tobirama answered a phone call.

Beaming, Naruto nodded. “Sure thing!” she said, earning the attention of the class with how loudly she had spoken. Gaara winced, a blush blooming in her cheeks as people stared between the pair of them. _She hadn’t meant to be that loud._ Sighing, she looked determinedly up at the ceiling. It was white, like almost all of the ceilings were, the walls painted an alternating oceanic blue and pale white – bookshelves full on inks and scrolls ready for when they moved away from theory and onto practical applications of seal work. Gaara swallowed at the thought, snapping back to attention as Tobirama commanded the classroom’s attention once more.

“Who here can tell me the most famous piece of seal work?” he enquired, dark red eyes scanning the room for the eager beavers. “I’ll give you a hint and say that you all here used it very recently.”

“Oh!” Naruto stuck up her hand, a grin on her face as she was called on. “It’s the Contractor’s Seal.”

Gaara nodded even she knew that much. Though it would be fascinating to hear an expert talk about it like Professor Senju. His name was legendary even in Suna when it came to academics. She opened her notebook and grabbed her pen in case she needed to take notes.

“Correct,” Tobirama said, nodding once at her friend. “The Contractor’s Seal is classified as a Time-Space Seal, given how it’s made to cross dimensions – specifically to the Netherworld, though whichever professor here in charge of Demon Contracting will tell you more on the subject of the Netherworld… So, does anyone here know the different seal classifications?”

Naruto stuck up her hand once more, and Tobirama glanced down at his class registering – a look of realisation dawning moments later before he called on the blonde yet again. “Time-Space, like you just said, Elemental, and a category actually referred to as ‘Sealing’ which is the act of locking away an object, or in rarer cases a living lifeform, inside the sealing array.”

Tobirama closed his eyes, nodding. “Good job, Uzumaki.”

Blinking, Naruto frowned. “How’d he know…?”

"Something wrong?" Gaara looked at her friend in confusion. Why did she look almost spooked about their professor knowing her name?

“How’d he know who I am?” Naruto scratched her chin.

Sasuke rolled his eyes as he walked by to fetch a book from the shelves at the back. “Because you already know way too much about seals,” he grumbled, picking up another textbook. “And guess which clan is famous for their sealing knowledge… oh right. Uzumaki.”

"Uchiha, don't make me tie you up with my sand on the first day." Gaara rolled her eyes. He was right, but borderline picking a fight with Naruto and she wasn't going to stand, well sit for that.

Sasuke sneered at the pair of them, walking back to his seat.

“Git,” Naruto muttered, turning to pay attention to class as Tobirama moved on in his lecture.

* * *

Demon Contracting was the next class – one which filled a two hour slot, and Gaara soon found out why. _Because Demon Contracting was all about understanding the connection between them and their demon._ Things had started off slow, what with the lecturer regurgitating most of the information her father had told her. Demons came from the Netherworld. The gods and goddesses gave them access to that place, which was how magic had spread to their world, how it had blessed their world thanks to the figures they worshipped. Every person’s soul aligned with a demon’s soul, unless they were contractless – a rather unfortunate fate in a world which prided themselves on contractors and summons. But then Professor Hatake Kakashi moved onto things Gaara had never known before.

 _There were different types of contracts,_ but the only legal type in that day and age was the equal-contract. The one they had all just used. One which didn’t always guarantee success for everyone but allowed for an equal relationship between demon and contractor. And it was that relationship they were going to start building and exploring in the next – Gaara checked her watch – one and a half hours remaining.

Settling down on one of the comfy red cushions set about the oddly decorated room, she looked around, only watching as Naruto peered under the bottom of the cushion, revealing a mark engraved into the floor there. “Knew I could feel a seal there,” she mumbled, grinning. “I’ve always had a good sensory ability when it comes to feeling magic.”

Curious, Gaara looked underneath her own cushion. There was another seal. "That's amazing, Naruto. Though it looks like we all might have seals." She tried not to gulp. It looked like this was going to be a very hands on class. Gaara hadn't even seen her demon.

“Alright,” Kakashi spoke then, capturing their attention as he put down the small orange book he’d been reading whilst lecturing, clapping his hands. “So… how many of you actually saw your demon’s true form when contracting?”

Gaara looked around. She saw she was far from the only one. Everyone wanted to know where they stood in terms of their demon compared to the rest of the class. It was actually a relief to see most students didn't raise their hand.

“Well, congratulations to you lucky tadpoles who saw them,” Kakashi said. “Something to note though, for all of you who didn’t raise your hands, the more powerful demons tend to be more cautious and elusive when engaging with a contractor… though it isn’t always the case. Sometimes they’re just a bit shy or standoffish.” He walked to the front of his desk, deciding to sit on it so he could look down at them on their cushions, and Gaara raised an eyebrow. _He seemed like a very laid back professor,_ or so she mused as he continued talking. “I’m here to try and help you establish a link of communication with the demons who’ll basically become the driving forces behind your old abilities, and the new ones you’ll develop,” he explained. “As the baby kitsune over there noticed, there are seals underneath your seats – and they’ll ensure this whole process is safe. So don’t worry about a thing and ensure you’re sitting comfortably… because we’re going to do something very _very_ exciting.”

Naruto vibrated in her seat, a smile on her face, and Gaara could only smile softly at the show of anticipation for the next activity—

“That’s right,” Kakashi said, clapping his hands together, his eyes curling up into a smile – his nose and lips hidden beneath a navy blue mask. “Meditation!”

Gaara shook her head. Kakashi definitely knew how to handle his class. The man had built up their expectations incredibly high and now, he just wanted them to meditate? Well, she could do that much. She closed her eyes and willed her body and mind to relax. It was something she often did back in Suna. A way to escape her father's expectations if only for a while.

Dimly, she could hear others rustling about as she did so, and then Kakashi was quietly murmuring instructions to those unsure of what to do. “Right, so, if you think you can find your demon on your own, then feel free to do your own thing… but for now, I’ll walk you through the usual steps,” he informed them, voice soft and melodic as Gaara continued to immerse herself in meditation. “First, picture the landscape you feel most suitable…” he said, and the image of that desert came to her mind. She could picture it so vividly – thanks to Suna being surrounded by desert. _But none of it really compared._

The sand was soft and so pale – leaning more towards white than yellow, dunes spattered at random intervals, covering the landscape behind her. Above her, the clouds were still present, a dark grey combined with a whisper of deep purple. She could hear the slight rumbles of thunder – see the flickers of a whiteish-purple lightning arcing between clouds.

“Now open your eyes,” Kakashi said, and Gaara felt her eyes snap open. She had a single instant to take in the yellowy film seeping across her eyes like a gunky covering before she was swept over to a place so much like what she had just imagined. Only there was one major difference. Blue markings dotted amongst the white sand. _Blue patches of sand – a deep, royal blue._ Such a contrast to the red colour she loved so much.

Gaara blinked. _She was back._ “Hello?” she called out, staying seated on that sinfully soft sand as she tried to work out what it would take for her demon to appear there. “Are you out there, demon?” she asked, swallowing hard when only silence greeted her. “Are you _that_ shy?” she mused then, more to herself than her supposed demon.

 _“Like hell I’m shy!”_ a masculine voice rumbled, lightning crackling ominously. _“Wait. Ignore that… just forget I said anything. It’s too soon,”_ he remarked, and Gaara felt fear shoot through her at that. _Too soon for what?_

“Wait! At least tell me your name!” she pleaded.

 _“Just call me Lord Demon,”_ he said snootily, and Gaara raised a sceptical eyebrow at that. _“Not that you’ll be hearing from me again anytime soon. You need to grow more powerful for that to happen… otherwise that fragile little body of yours won’t be able to withstand all my power flowing through it.”_

“And she’s back,” Kakashi’s voice sounded, and Gaara blinked – taking a few minutes to register the fact that Kakashi and Naruto were both hovering right there in front of her. “See? I told you everything would be fine,” he said, rolling his dark grey eyes at the both of them. “Though it _is_ time for lunch now, so you might want to hurry along, baby kitsune.”

Naruto puffed out her cheeks. “Stop calling me that,” she grumbled.

Kakashi shrugged, walking away from them back to his desk. “The shoe fits…”

"There are worse things to be called." Gaara smiled at her friend, still feeling rather dazed by the bizarre experience. 'Lord Demon' believed he had to hide from her. That Gaara wasn't powerful enough to handle him yet and everything had felt so real down to the sand. _Had the others gone through the same thing?_ She could have sworn she really was in the desert. "You do have cute whiskers on your cheeks. We should probably head to lunch, though."

Standing around in the classroom wouldn't get them anywhere. Besides, Gaara needed to ask Naruto what she had seen. Her friend didn't seem nearly as perplexed as she was. _Maybe her demon was more talkative?_

“So… like… did you get to talk to your demon?” Naruto asked, tilting her head curiously, long blonde hair swishing behind her in two pigtails as they made their way to the cafeteria. It was a bit of a walk away from the East Block – where their first two classes had been located. Gaara wasn’t too sure whether she was that keen for what came after, given the last lesson of the day was going to be a session entitled ‘Youthful Exercise’. The probably-just-as-taxing Mana Affinities class was scheduled before it though, and Gaara swallowed. _Soon it would be time to see just how much contracting with her demon had bolstered her abilities…_

"A little, but he apparently wanted to stay hidden." It was odd, but Kakashi had said more powerful demons tended to be reclusive. Maybe that was normal for his kind. "He said that he didn't want to reveal himself until I was strong enough to handle him and that I could call him Demon Lord." Gaara rubbed the back of her head at the last part. If nothing else, her demon definitely wasn't suffering from any confidence issues. _Demon Lord? That bordered on arrogant. Did demons even have a political system?_

Naruto snickered. “Demon Lord, eh?” she mumbled. “Your demon sounds like a riot!” Chuckling, she pushed open the doors leading to the cafeteria, grabbing Gaara by the arm. “They have ramen! Yatta!”

"I guess so." Gaara wasn't so sure, but she allowed herself to be dragged along anyway. "What about your demon and wow, you must really like ramen." She'd never seen anyone get so excited over noodles before.

“It is the food of the gods!” Naruto declared, grabbing a bowl for herself. “But not much happened for me… Kana just started telling me about some wicked illusions I can get started on. Though she says I’m gonna really have to work on the control I have over my magic… since I have a fairly large amount – though fortunately kitsune don’t tend to wind up giving their contractor more power. It’s why they’re drawn to Uzumaki – ‘cause we always have so much,” she babbled, waving her hands around as she waited for Gaara to choose what to eat.

"Oh, that's good. I'm glad that you two are getting along so well." It did make sense. Naruto was a whirlwind of energy. She didn't need more.

Gaara grabbed the bowl of ramen Naruto was eyeing up pointedly, deciding to give it a try – see what all of Naruto’s fuss was about. “Good choice,” she remarked, leading them over towards a table, barely waiting to sit down before she was vacuuming the thick noodles into her mouth. “Gonna need the energy for these next two classes!” she exclaimed between chews.

Gaara laughed and took a bite of her ramen. "Yeah and it's not bad." Besides, it made her friend happy.

“Too right it’s not,” Naruto said, a lazy grin on her lips as she finished. Gaara blinked. _How exactly could she eat that quickly?_ She shook her head – it was probably just another of the blonde’s odd quirks. “But you might wanna eat as fast as you can… you did meditate through half of the lunchbreak, so the bell might be ringing soon…”

"I was really out of it that long?" Gaara blinked. It had only felt like a few minutes. Still, Naruto was right. So, she started eating faster.

She tilted her head. “Yep, didn’t you notice?”

"No. I could have sworn it was only five minutes or so." _How strange. Had the demon altered her perception of time somehow?_

“Huh…”

The bell rang then, signalling the end of lunch, and the beginning of afternoon classes. Gaara glanced down at their schedule then, quickly finding where they needed to be for Mana Affinities. It didn't take her long to find her classroom. Gaara sat down at a seat close to the door. She didn't want to get caught up in the stampede whenever class was over.

Naruto grabbed the seat next to her, smiling widely at her. They would be together for the next two years at least, before they were separated into classes in their third and final year based on their main affinity. _Or affinities, if one was lucky enough to have two – possibly a third if they were that special._ At least, that was according to the guide she had spent the last night pouring through.

"I'm glad you're here, Naruto." Gaara smiled at her friend. It was nice, if foreign feeling. To have someone who actually wanted to be around her.

Professor Yuuhi Kurenai walked into the classroom then, so Naruto only smiled at her – but her message was clear enough. “Ready to find out if your demon has bolstered your affinity?” she asked quietly, quivering in excitement as they waited for her to finish setting up.

"I'm ready." Gaara smiled, hoping that it had. The demon wanted her to get stronger.

* * *

Naruto flopped on the desk next to her as their second last class finished up. “That,” she said, “was exhausting.” Blonde hair splayed out, across their notes, but Gaara continued packing up. It had been one informative class – and now she was certain that her minute wind affinity was… well, slightly less minute. _Sand and wind affinities…_ Gaara tilted her head. That was more than most people got. “I sucked so hard with illusions…” Naruto groaned. “And I have no natural affinity for it… which means I’m gonna have to work super hard to improve on it.” She sat up then, packing her things in a flash. “But I’m gonna do it!”

"I'm sure you can do it." Gaara patted her friend's shoulder encouragingly. "You're so determined. Even Kakashi noticed your skills."

Pouting, Naruto led them both out into the corridor, blinking as she stared at their timetables. “Youthful…?” she mumbled to herself, stroking her chin in contemplation. “Where have I—Oh.” Her hand lashed out, grabbing Gaara’s wrist. “We need to hurry!” she yelled, running towards the gym. “We _do not_ want to be late if the professor is who I think it is!”

"Naruto, relax. I'm sure we'll make it there in plenty of ti-ME!" Gaara squeaked as her friend pulled her along towards their next class as if she weighed no more than a rag doll.

“You have not met—”

A green blur flashed by, and Gaara blinked after it.

“Let’s go!” Naruto cried, upping her pace, seemingly chasing after the strange green blur. “We don’t want to be made to run a thousand laps of the hall… or worse… the entire campus.” She shuddered, and Gaara barely managed to keep her feet as she was dragged into the changing rooms.

"Naruto, it's alright. We're here." Gaara panted, happy to have her feet firmly planted on the ground once more as she scanned the gym room.

“Change!” Naruto ordered, all but throwing her gym clothes on as quickly as possible. “The later we are, the worse it’ll get.”

Gaara stared at her friend as she quickly switched into her own gym clothes. She'd never thought she'd see the blonde so terrified of anything. "Um yeah. I guess so. Come on. I'm ready."

Naruto all but charged out of the room, Gaara following on her heels – and she could only stare at the sight with which they were met. _Was… was that an entire obstacle course in the field outside?_ Though Gaara was fairly sure they wouldn’t be using it on the first day. That would be too much.

“Right,” their instructor spoke. “Maito Gai at your service!” he said, giving them all a thumbs up coupled with an almost blinding smile. “Welcome to Youthful Exercise class!”

Gaara blinked.

“Today you’ll be running a thousand laps of the obstacle course outside,” he proclaimed cheerfully, and Gaara felt her heart start to sink. _Oh. This was why Naruto feared this man._ “But first – warm ups! We don’t want you youthful buds pulling a muscle.”

Gaara stared. _He couldn't be serious. A thousand laps was impossible._ Still, she started doing her warm ups. It was a bad idea to get on a teacher's bad side on the first day, after all.

“I have good stamina,” Naruto said, patting her shoulder, her eyes oddly haunted and heavy. “I’ll carry you back to our dorm once you collapse – don’t worry.”

"That's very sweet of you, Naruto. I couldn't make you do that, though." Gaara frowned, imagining her exhausted friend trying to drag her back to the dorm. "You'll be tired too."

Naruto only gave her another sympathetic shoulder pat. “Good luck,” she mouthed, as they finished their warm ups and headed outside into the cool breeze. “Just… don’t die. Though I doubt you will. Gai’s training only makes you _feel_ like you’re dying inside – but if you push yourself despite that, he’ll notice, and he’ll be crying with happiness by the end…”

 _Demon Lord help her. Naruto was serious about Gai._ "I'll try my best." Gaara got into position to start running. Her stretching was completed. Now, it was time to see how many laps she could run.

She made it through thirty before keeling over in the water-section and having to be dragged out before she could drown. It was a long course, and Gaara felt proud – given most others had only made it into the twenties. _She had been on her thirty-first lap._ Blinking slowly, she stared up at the sky, watching as it only grew darker as time passed. Still, she could hear Naruto yelling at her future boyfriend about how she was going to beat him as they went onto _whatever lap they were actually on._ Gaara hadn’t really been able to keep count, what with realising she couldn’t move. Her muscles were aching beyond belief – though another student had helped her stretch, given how she was just lying there on the ground.

Gai had already given her a tearful thumbs up, gushing about how proud he was of her efforts. _She was a youthful lotus._ Chuckling, she glanced over at the moon as it rose up, and gingerly, she propped herself up on her elbows. _Her body complained, but she needed to see where Naruto was._

“Ha!” Naruto’s exclamation made her startle. “Eat shit, Sasuke! You lost!”

Sasuke huffed.

“Yo! Gaara!” Naruto’s face popped into view, beaming down at her. “Want a lift home?”

“A lift would be wonderful.” _Gaara doubted that she'd be to walk like this._ "Are you sure it's okay, though? I mean you just ran a lot of laps." _A countless number of laps. Her rivalry with Sasuke was insane. Those two were like animals battling it out over who had the bigger territory._

“Yep!” she said exuberantly, hefting her up onto her back like she hadn’t just ran a thousand laps of an insane obstacle course. “Uzumaki stamina always wins!”

"I guess so." Gaara laughed, happily clinging to her friend's back. "Thank you so much." _She'd never had someone help her before like this._

“It’s no problem,” Naruto said, popping by the changing room to grab both of their bags before she took them back a familiar route. Gaara groaned, internally apologising to her friend as she almost chewed on a few locks of blonde hair as it pelted her in the face. “The stars are nice tonight, don’t you think?”

"They're beautiful." Gaara smiled as she looked up at the infinite number of diamonds dancing in the sky. It was hard to believe they were the same ones she'd seen in Suna.

Humming happily, Naruto led them up the gravel path they had used earlier that morning, white stone crunching underfoot as Gaara continued looking up at the stars. They were so bright. Plus there was the scent of forest all around her as they continued heading back towards Spiral Souls Dormitory. Wind rustled through the trees, and Gaara would have gone and picked out the deep green leaves which landed in Naruto’s hair had she actually had the strength to lift her arms. _She was going to be aching tomorrow morning,_ she knew. But she would deal with that—

Bushes rustled off to their left, and Gaara looked away from the stars, peering into the dense array of bushes, undergrowth, and trees on that side of the path. Shivers ran down her spine, eyes darting about to find whatever had made the noise. But there was nothing there. _Probably just a fox._

“Home sweet home,” Naruto mumbled, letting them into the corridor.

Gaara leaned against Naruto as she carried her to their room. "Well, that was an interesting first day. So, what kind of pranks did your fox mention?"

“Oh.” Naruto perked up, merrily bounding up the stairs – her endurance evidently monstrous. “Well, I can trap people in illusions and bind them… as well as make people see things… well, once I get more skilled at them, so then I can _torment—_ ahem, I mean, make Sasuke think he’s wearing clothes when he’s actually starkers… ha. I can’t wait to see that prudish Bastard… he’d be so embarrassed.”

"You seem rather interested in the concept of a naked Sasuke." Amusement danced in Gaara's eyes. _It was just like in Temari's trashy romance novels._

“Gah!” Naruto muttered, ears turning red as she opened the door to their room, carrying her inside only to dump her on the bed. “You wanna use the shower at all?” she asked, cheeks a bright red as she wandered over to the window to look out across campus. They were on the highest floor – so the view was fairly unhindered by trees. “And it’s only since Sasuke is such a prude… plus I kinda wanna know whether Uchiha _actually_ have sticks shoved up their backsides. They certainly walk and act like they do…”

"Maybe tomorrow. I don't think I could even move right now." _Well, if Naruto wanted to stay in denial awhile longer, who was Gaara to judge?_

“Suit yourself,” Naruto said, yawning as she headed into the bathroom.

The sound of waters running met Gaara’s ears as she flopped on her bed, sleep was beckoning to her already, and she closed her eyes – not bothering to change out of her gym clothes – before she answered dreamland’s call. _It felt like she was being wrapped in warm sand, and the sounds of roiling thunder lulled her into such a deep sleep._


	4. The Library

**Chapter III: The Library**

Peering down at the book in her hands, Gaara frowned at the symbols written across the two pages. They were basic knowledge according to Naruto, unlike the more advanced book she had mooched off Professor Tobirama earlier that day. She was lucky not to have _Youthful Exercise_ class that day – it being every other day, if only so students wouldn’t die because of the exuberance that was Maito Gai. The pain of yesterday’s obstacle course still hadn’t faded. Wincing, she lifted her aching arm, perfectly happy to stay in the library and not have to move an inch from her seat. _Her legs were dead. Completely and utterly dead._ She would take her books over torture _—_ _ahem_ physical education any day. That instructor was insane. _Besides, if she stayed in the library, then she might be able to find some small scrap of information about her demon._ Even if her class or tribe of demon wasn’t listed specifically, she’d hopefully start to have some ideas about the abilities she might be given.

It was rare to have a species of demon which hadn’t been discovered as of yet though, so Gaara had her hopes up that she’d be able to narrow things down. _If only to every type of demon that was sand based._ Her shoulders sunk. “Finished with that book now?” Naruto asked, peering over her shoulder. “I did agree to be your legs in the library… so, what’d you want to read next?”

"I'm not quite done with this one. I'm hoping to find something out about my demon." Gaara sighed, glancing at the book once more. "So far, this has all been too general. Ideally, I'd like to find something about sand demons. He appeared in a desert..." It was really all that she had to go on other than the fact Lord Demon thought highly of himself.

“Uhh…” Naruto frowned, staring at the book of seals. “I thought you wanted to go over class notes… I don’t think a seals book is gonna have much info about sand demons. So… I’ll go and grab some books on sand demons, ‘K?”

"That sounds good. I thought maybe I'd recognize the seal in these books by now, but I guess not." Gaara sighed, shaking her head. She likely sounded like an absolute novice. "Thank you, Naruto."

“No problem!” she called, diving into the maze of bookshelves behind the both of them. “I’ll bring back everything I can!” With that said, Gaara turned back to look between her class notes and the book on seals. _There was no way she would be understanding that anytime soon._ A sigh left her lips and she slumped forwards, wishing all the while that her body would stop aching.

“Yosh, Naruto!” the masculine voice called, and Gaara sat up. “Careful! You do not want to topple the pile.”

“What do you think I’m doing, dattebayo?” Naruto yelled back. Gaara raised an eyebrow, blinking at the stack of books and the pair of familiar legs which rounded the corner. “Nearly there… Gaara?”

“She’s right ahead of you!”

Gaara blinked again, memories of green jumpsuits, smiles, and obstacle courses came to mind as the teenager strode towards her then. _Had Maito Gai spawned?_ What manner of atrocity was this? She swallowed thickly, staring at those bushy eyebrows and that black bowl cut which he shared with that hellish instructor.

“There we are, Naruto!” he cried, just as Naruto set down a ridiculously tall stack of books next to her. “You must be Gaara, yes?” He turned to her, thumb up and smiling. Gaara shivered – her trauma not far enough behind her. “How wonderful it is to meet a lovely young blossom such as yourself… but I am afraid I must be on my way now!”

Gaara could only blink as he left, turning to Naruto, looking completely and utterly frazzled, and ever so slightly traumatised as she did so. “His name’s Lee,” Naruto offered, handing her the first book from the stack. “He’s a nice guy… just very… enthusiastic…”

 _Enthusiastic was one way to put it._ "He's very energetic. I didn't realize Gai had a son." _Or maybe Lee was a clone? They were too identical for this to be a coincidence. Gods and Goddesses help them all if Gai was capable of cloning magic. That would mean the end for human civilization. They'd all be forced to run laps until humanity went extinct._ "If you say he's a nice guy though, he must be." Gaara managed a smile as she began scanning the book. Once she identified her demon, she'd feel a lot better.

Naruto laughed. “Lee isn’t Gai’s son, though most people make that mistake,” she said, shaking her head. “Lee just idolises him… It’s why he chopped off that nice plait he used to have. Anyway, he’s a year older than us – and Gai gives him extra training, ‘cause he’s such a cinnamon roll. He’ll grow on you… kinda like fungus. At least that’s how dad described him. He had to deal with Gai a lot when he let Kakashi and the rest of his group intern under him.”

"You're telling me those two aren't related?" _So he was a clone then._ "I see, though. That's interesting. Well, he seems friendlier than your bastard at least."

“Definitely,” Naruto mumbled, looking back into her book of seals, and Gaara did the same with her own. There were plenty for her to get through. _She’d probably be able to check them out… and hopefully ask Naruto to help her carry them back to their room._

"Hey, Naruto, look. It's a Suna." Gaara laughed as she read the description. Apparently there was a small breed of sand cat demon that was named after where she came from because that's where it originated. "Isn't it cute?" It was adorable, but Gaara doubted that was her demon. Not if the 'Lord Demon' title was anything to go. _Her father would also never approve of her having such a cute, seemingly harmless demon as her contract._

Cooing over the page, Naruto grinned. “Think this is your Demon Lord?” she asked, arching an eyebrow. “It would be so funny if it was… but something tells me it’s not. Shame. Would’ve been a cutie if you were found to be capable of summoning it into being here…” Leaning over the desk, she flicked over a few pages, slowly, revealing more cute species of demon. “How about this one The Sandman… They’ve got a few abilities to do with dreams there… huh,” she mumbled, frowning as she flicked back to the front cover. “Ah. This book mainly focuses on ones which are either weak in general, or weak at physical attacks. That explains why you’ve got a cute cat demon there, as well as The Sandman and Morpheus…” Naruto turned, rustling through the stack, making a sound of triumph as she pulled out a much larger book. “I think it gets more confusing when classifying the ones which can make physical attacks though…”

"It is a shame. It was very cute." Gaara nodded as Naruto grabbed another book. "You're right. We should look at another book." _Assuming the demon really was as powerful as he was applying, a Suna or Sandman likely wasn't it._

“Look here,” Naruto said, pointing at the picture of a sharp-fanged, hulking cat. “This is a distant relative of the Suna – the Suna-Sabre… named for its likeness to another demon called a Sabre-Tooth, due to its teeth…” She pouted then, glancing over at Gaara. “Your demon is probably going to look super deadly, judging by all the arrays of sand demons there are,” she grumbled. “Sand demons are all seeming to either be ridiculously cute, or ridiculously cool. Well, if you think pretty, deadly things are cool, that is. I’ve been told many people don’t share the same tastes as me… but that’s probably ‘cause I was raised around pictures of—oh. Never mind.” Naruto shook her head, moving to pull another book from the pile. “Here. Try looking through that. We’ve only got another hour before we’re expected for Demon Contracting…”

"A Suna-Sabre might be perfect." _That would impress her father, wouldn't it?_ Still, she finds herself looking at all the demonic options. _Who knew there were so many kinds of sand demons out there?_ "I think deadly things are cool too." Gaara tilted her head wondering what her friend was so nervous about all of a sudden. _What sort pictures had she been raised around?_ "I'll give it a look and see if I find something." _There had to be something about her demon. She just had to keep trying._

“We’ve got Mana Affinities just after, though – so you probably ought to check out a few of these books,” Naruto recommended. “Hopefully you’ll have some more ideas about what extra abilities your demon’s given you… otherwise I think you might be pouring over those books for a while longer.” She bit her lip, rocking back in her own seat. “Personally, I think you’d have better luck tryna understand more about seals for next time we have Tobirama,” she said, holding out her book. “Lookie look – this is where you can get into the interesting stuff,” Naruto continued, and Gaara frowned at the odd splotches of varying colours, in all assortments of marks. Some of them looked like nothing more than odd shapes and smudges. “These are _cursed seals_ – now that’s an interesting topic right here. Nothing like the basics we’ve been going over in class,” she proclaimed proudly.

"Yeah. I'll check out the books." Gaara would try almost anything to figure out who her demon was. _She had to make her mother's sacrifice worth it._ "And you really think that Tobirama's class is basic? I guess it might be for you. Your family specializes in that kind of thing, but for me it's all new."

Naruto tilted her head, blonde locks shifting as she did so. “Y’know, I’m kinda sensing you’re not gonna be taking any sealing electives when it comes to third year,” she remarked, a wry grin twitching at her lips. “Despite the red hair, I guess you really don’t have any Uzumaki blood in you, huh?” Shrugging, she turned back to her reading, before she paused. “Ah. Need a hand with checking them out? We should probably start heading over to Demon Contracting… _and then I can steal Sasuke’s preferred cushion…”_ Her teeth practically sparkled under the soft lighting of the library.

"What does hair colour have to do with sealing?" Gaara blinked in confusion. Naruto said the oddest things sometimes. "Never mind. It might grow on me. It's just my magic has always been very different. It just happens." Her sand did whatever she wanted to do on instinct. "I think I've got them and why are your teeth sparkling like that? It's almost as if you've plotting something evil."

“Uzumaki all tend to be redheads – just look at my mum and Mito… I’m a bit of an anomaly in that regard.” Packing her things away, Naruto turned to help her, holding up books questioningly as she waited for her to say yes or no. “I just kinda wanna get to Demon Contracting early, ‘cause then Kakashi will let me steal the bastard’s cushion.”

 _It really was just like Temari's romance novels. Those two were going to end up either marrying or killing each other._ Of course, Gaara knew better than to say that out loud. "Hmm. Odd. Well, I doubt that the red hair actually impacts the sealing abilities, but let's go get you your cushion." _If nothing else watching Sasuke and Naruto fight over a cushion was going to be funny._

“Yatta!” Naruto leapt for joy, and they only paused to check out the five or so books she had decided to take back to read – possibly after she was dead on her feet after Youthful Exercise.

Gaara laughed as she followed her friend to their next class. _That was Naruto for you… always so full of energy._

* * *

Naruto stared at her leaf, frowning really hard as she twisted the small green plant clipping with her fingers. “You getting anywhere with this?” she asked, turning to glare at Sasuke as he snickered at the pair of them. “Shut up, _Bastard!_ ” Naruto snarled, glowering at him as he set the candles in front of him alight with the barest flick of his finger. “Ugh. Why does this have to be so hard?”

Sasuke just laughed all the harder.

Gaara shook her head, causing some sand to appear. She flicked her hand forward sending it at Sasuke. The sand was dancing in the gentle breeze of her creation – the largest amount of wind magic she could really use at that moment in time – but it didn't have the intended effect. She had expected him to start coughing like crazy, rubbing sand from his eyes, or even sneeze. Instead… he fell asleep. "That's… new."

Cackling, Naruto banged her hand against the desk, snickering even as Sasuke fell over to one side. He fell to the floor, snoring all the while, and Kurenai hurried to the Uchiha’s side. Gaara swallowed. _Really, all she’d meant to do was make him cough._ That would have been unnoticeable enough.

Instead, Gaara could only hunch down in her seat as Kurenai turned those red eyes of hers onto her. “Detention, Sabaku.”

Naruto stopped laughing. “What? But Professor, Sasuke was being a git!”

“That doesn’t excuse your friend from trying to harm him with her magic,” Kurenai said, folding her arms. “Since this is only your first one, it’ll only be an hour after your last class today. Report back here then, Sabaku.”

Gaara slumped in her seat, biting her lip so hard it almost bled.

“But she didn’t mean to send him to sleep! It was an accident!” Naruto complained for her, and Gaara felt oddly touched. _She’d never had a friend like Naruto before… and she’d never imagined having a friend like Naruto either._ But it was a good thing. “’Sides, aren’t we supposed to be figuring out our magic in this class anyway?”

“You are,” Kurenai said. “You’re also learning that there are consequences for incorrect and improper usage of magic against your fellow peers. I wouldn’t have minded had you simply used your words to respond to Uchiha… but this is a different ballgame entirely. Even if you didn’t intend to put him to sleep, you still used your magic _against_ him.”

Scowling, Naruto sat back in her seat. “Can I have a detention too then?”

One eyebrow rose on their professor’s face as she tried to wake Sasuke up. “You haven’t done anything that would require one.”

Naruto lifted her hand, brow wrinkling in concentration. Gaara only had to blink once, and then the professor’s desk was split in two – and all the paperwork on it was on the ground. “Oops,” Naruto said, voice completely flat. “I’m so terribly sorry, Professor. It was a complete accident.”

Kurenai closed her eyes. “Detention, Uzumaki.”

“Yatta!” Naruto grinned, even as Sasuke continued to sleep like the dead. “We’ve got our first detention together!”

“Nara,” Kurenai called, seemingly ignoring the both of them. “Can you take Uchiha to the infirmary?” she asked, and Gaara only watched as a brunette with what looked to be a perpetual slouch rose to his feet.

“Troublesome.”

"Sorry, Professor Kurenai. I let my temper get the better of me." Gaara bowed, biting back a sigh. _She was already acting like the monster her father thought she was. Even if it had only been a prank, Kurenai was right. She shouldn't have 'attacked' Sasuke and what was worse is that her magic hadn't reacted the way she planned. She was dangerous now. Sure it had been a sleep spell this time, but who knew what might happen the next time?_

“Nah.” Naruto nudged her. “Sasuke’s always been one of the most gittiest gits I’ve ever known. You need _experience_ to not be constantly snapping at him for being a bastard. Honestly, sometimes I wonder how he’s related to Itachi – that’s his brother by the way… I keep forgetting you’re not Konoha-raised.” 

"Maybe, but I can understand that. I'm nothing like either of my siblings." Gaara shrugged it off. She and Temari were about as different from each other as it was possible to be and still be the same species.

“You’re cool though,” Naruto said, bumping her fist against Gaara’s own, ignoring her look of confusion. “Gaara just has to be Gaara… ‘cause Gaara is my friend…” She yawned. “Huh. Looks like seeing Sasuke sleeping has made me sleepy,” she mumbled. “I bet you I look better sleeping though.”

 _Gaara just has to be Gaara..._ "Naruto, I'm really lucky I met you even if you are a little insane." She laughed, watching Sasuke sleep despite being dragged out of the room. "And I guess sleep magic might prove useful."

“Too right it will,” she mumbled, stretching her arms above her head. “Hopefully I’ll make it through detention now… this is the last class we have today, isn’t it?” Naruto shook her head, answering her own question in the next breath. “Yeah, it is,” she said, slapping at her whiskered cheeks as Kurenai called an end to the class. “Oy, Prof!” she called, even as everyone else started filing out. “What we doing for detention?”

Kurenai paused then, hand on her chin. “Ah, this was your last class, wasn’t it?” she mused. “I do believe Professor Senju has some cursed seals he needs cleaned up. He was covering that with his third years today, and he was complaining about the mess it would generate.”

"Alright. We'll go see if he needs some help." Gaara nodded, heading off with Naruto. It didn't take long to find Professor's Senju's class again. When she did, though… Gaara sighed as she spotted some of the splotches she had seen in Naruto’s book. _And there looked to be many of them drawn on the ground_. "Damn that's a lot of seals to clean up." _It was going to take forever._

“Indeed,” Tobirama remarked, appearing behind them. “Kurenai just informed me you would both be helping… and while I’m grateful for the help, I feel I should warn you – watch your step,” he cautioned, red eyes looking between them severely. “Some of the seals my third years drew today turned out to be rather sensitive… which made for a fun demonstration,” he said wryly, and Gaara swallowed as she noticed some faint bloodstains around certain seals. “It also ended with them in the infirmary, so please be careful. You’re not as skilful, or as resilient as they are against magic.”

 _Was this even safe?_ Still, Gaara began to search the classroom. Her footsteps were ginger and measured. If third years were getting sent to the infirmary by these things, she didn't fancy her odds if she tripped one. "Yes, sir. We'll be careful. Naruto do you wanna take the left side of the classroom and I'll take the right?"

“I guess I’ll take the middle then,” Tobirama said, and Gaara glanced back at him sheepishly as the mops were handed out. “Be careful. Head around the edges of the room – there are no seals there – and work your way inside.”

Nodding, they both went to the respective sides of the room, and Gaara could only stare at the array of seal markings in front of her. The only sounds which met her ears were the sounds of mops cleaning away at the floor, and she remembered to rinse hers off as soon as possible. Magic lingered in the ink used to create seals, and Tobirama had given them the required cleaning solution to deal with that in their buckets.

Carefully, Gaara continued to scrub and scrub at the floor, watching as the mostly black inks vanished into the clear waters of her bucket. _Magical cleaning solution indeed._ It wasn’t as hard or as nerve-racking as she had thought it would be – cleaning up dangerous, cursed seals that was—

“Gaara!” Naruto yelled, eyes wide as she stared at her left foot.

Tobirama swore under his breath, and Gaara stared down. Blinking, she looked at the _glowing_ red marks forming a broken circle, only able to take another single breath before pain wracked her body. She screamed, tearing her eyes away from her leg as the skin started to crack, blood seeping from them, as red markings started spreading up her body.

Yellow film covered her vision then, everything growing hazy as she panted between the agony scorching at her leg. It felt like her skin was on fire. _Everything hurt._

 _“Which is why you need to get stronger,”_ a familiar voice rang in the back of her mind, just as an inhuman snarl left her lips.

She could barely see through the thick yellow colouring covering her vision. She could barely feel the hands at her foot through the pain.

“Stay back,” Tobirama hissed, spluttering curses moments later, and Gaara could only snarl once more as what felt like a gallon load of water surrounded her. It felt so heavy. _Or was that her sand?_ she wondered. “Got it,” he said all of a sudden – and just like that the agony stopped moving higher. Instead, it was only her leg which burned.

Gaara could only grumble inaudible words, stumbling back, blinking as she slumped into Naruto. _She didn’t want to look at her leg._ Wincing as pain throbbed up from her foot, she looked around, frowning as she spotted the waterlogged sand scattered around where she had just stood.

“I think she needs to go to the infirmary,” Naruto said, voice oddly devoid of any happiness or cheer right then. Concern painted her brow, and Gaara stared up at her, realising she was leaning heavily on the blonde. _Not that she could stop… what with her leg being the way it was._

“There’s no need to ‘think’ about it,” Tobirama grumbled. “Of course she does… One of my idiot pupils decided to draw a _very_ dangerous seal.” He shook his head. “We’re not supposed to cover ones which inflict this degree of pain and damage for months yet.”

Naruto swallowed.

Gaara whimpered. _This was all because she couldn’t look where she was standing… an unacceptable mistake._ Her father would have her head if ever he found out. Which Gaara sorely hoped he wouldn’t.

“N-Naruto, please just take me to the infirmary.” Gaara grunted through the fading pain in her leg. _How could she have been so careless?_ Though even more troubling was that voice. _The Demon Lord._ He had told her to get stronger again. _Why was she so weak? She needed to do better than this._

Naruto nodded. “Right then,” she said, bundling Gaara up in her arms – mindful of her injured leg before she broke out into a sprint, charging straight towards the infirmary. “You’re gonna be fine, Gaara,” she said, carrying her through the monotonous corridors and into a room with white walls, white floors, and white hospital beds lining the walls. “Uh…” Naruto looked around. “Where’s the nurse-doctor-person-thingamabob?”

“Naruto?” The blonde lady from the entrance ceremony glanced between the pair of them, honey brown eyes widening when she caught sight of Gaara. “Put her on the bed. Quickly!”

“Right, Granny,” Naruto said in a flustered rush, doing as asked without another word.

Tsunade glared at her leg. “What caused this?” she barked out the question – and Gaara didn’t quite know what she was doing, but the pain was fading. Sighing in relief, she sunk back into the oddly soft sheets of the hospital bed.

“A cursed seal,” Naruto answered. “Granny, is she gonna be OK?”

“She’ll be fine, so long as you shut up and get back to your dorm. It’s late, and your friend here is going to be in overnight – given the severity of this,” Tsunade said, shooing Naruto to the door before either of them could raise a complaint. “Go.” It was only once Naruto left that Gaara found herself the sole recipient of Tsunade’s attention – though she didn’t notice it for all that long, thanks to the bottle waved in front of her face. “Drink this,” she ordered, and Gaara barely had a second to read the _Dreamless Sleep_ label printed on before the woman was all but pouring it down her throat. Then—

_Nothing._

Everything was hazy, and dimly she could hear voices that sounded like Tsunade’s and Tobirama’s. _Probably discussing what had happened,_ she mused, her vision fuzzy, her eyes lined with sleep. _They felt so heavy._ Her leg felt like it was wrapped in cotton wool, and her teeth felt as though they had grown a coating of fur.

Gaara blinked, eyelids still feeling ridiculously heavy when she next opened them. _But time had to have passed, because the two figures standing over her weren’t Tobirama and Tsunade._ They were unfamiliar. Grunting, Gaara tried to open her eyes that much wider, but her body wasn’t having it.

“Is she awake?” a soft, feminine voice enquired.

The fuzzy figure next to her shook their head. “Probably not. You saw what that woman gave her earlier.” He snorted, and Gaara frowned – well she frowned as best she could, despite her face feeling stiff and unmoving. “It would take a real _monster_ to even come around whilst under the effects of that potion. Orochimaru himself brewed them – and you know how potent his are.”

“Ah yes,” the woman mumbled, chuckling. “But getting down to business… _is she the one?”_

“No,” the man said. _What was going on?_ Gaara wanted to ask, but she was pinned down under the effects of the potion she had drank. “She’s from Suna… she’s not one of the lost little princesses. It’s the other one.”

“Hmm,” the woman hummed. “I suppose it’s only to be expected – what with that sand she used…”

“You shouldn’t have been peeking then – you know what that Senju is, don’t you?”

Tinkling laughter met her ears. “Of course I’m aware,” she said, voice slicing through the stillness of the room like a knife. “I just thought it was rather interesting,” she continued, and if Gaara could’ve flinched, she would have as the woman’s face suddenly became level with her own. _Though she could barely see her features, thanks to the fuzziness of her vision._ “I mean… you have to admit those blue markings were pretty interesting. _Couldn’t you feel their power?”_ she whispered, voice sounding horribly breathy and excited. “Ah. It made me shiver.”

“Stop getting off on this,” the man hissed. “Deranged masochist…”

Fingers brushed her cheeks, and Gaara felt revulsion shudder through her at the foreign touch. “You’ll grow up to be someone worth killing, won’t you?” she whispered, pressing her lips to Gaara’s ear.

Gaara closed her eyes then, pretending to be fully asleep rather than straining to try and prove she was awake. It was better that way. Those creeps sounded like potential kidnappers – or worse. In some ways she was grateful to the potion, even as she battled its effects that much harder. _Who were those two?_ Gaara grunted, ignoring the coos it drew from the woman at the _cute_ sleeping noise. _Demon Lord, can you hear me?_ she wondered. _Do you know who these two are?_

But there was no answer, and sleep soon swallowed her whole, leaving nothing but blissful darkness behind for her to enjoy.


	5. The Marks

**Chapter IV: The Marks**

Her eyelids felt as though they had been glued together, and Gaara groaned as she came to. A white ceiling came into focus, and she blinked. It wasn’t her dorm room. _Where was she again?_ Groaning, she tried to pull herself to her elbows, scowling at the odd weakness she could feel lingering in her limbs. _Her leg especially. The one she’d gotten caught in that curse mark…_ She was in the infirmary. Long red locks fell in front of her face, and she pushed them back behind her ear, shuddering as she remembered that voice and those lips whispering to her then. _Or had it just all been some horrifying dream?_ Gaara shook her head, propping herself up on her elbows as she risked a glance at her leg – only to find out it had been neatly bandaged, and there was an inky black seal stuck over the top, written on paper which was seemingly glued to the strips of sterile white fabric.

“You’re up earlier than I thought,” Tsunade remarked, stepping around the lilac curtains bordering her little section of the room. “I thought you’d be out until midday at least, given how much Dreamless Sleep I gave you.” She rested a hand on her chin, looking down at her consideringly. “Oh well. Just means there’s less for you to catch up on.” A pile of clothes landed on her stomach, and Gaara blinked. “Get dressed, and then you can head straight to class if you’d like. You’ve only missed Mana Affinities so far… though in twenty minutes you’ll start missing Runic Arts as well.”

“Granny?” a familiar voice echoed through the room. “Who’re you talking—GAARA!”

Gaara could only grunt as she found herself tackled back down to the bed, grateful there were pillows and a mattress to soften the impact of her overzealous friend.

“I was so worried! And so lonely too without you in the dorm…” she mumbled, and Gaara patted her back awkwardly. _What else was she supposed to do?_ “But I’m glad you’re feeling better… It was really scary y’know. You just triggered that red mark, and then BAM you were covered in red and blue marks… and you were screaming,” she continued, not lifting those sky blue pools to meet her seafoam ones. “Even the Professor was worried – and he usually always looks constipated. Y’know… like he has a stick jammed up his backside… Though we have Professor Tobirama next. If you want me to share my notes while you stay here…” Naruto trailed off – her offer fairly obvious for anyone with half a brain.

“I’ll come,” Gaara said, blinking slowly as she processed what Naruto had just said. “Just… let me get changed.”

“And drink this,” Tsunade added, setting down an unlabelled potion in front of her. “You haven’t eaten yet, and I don’t need you back in here because of that.” With that said, she herded Naruto to the other side of the lilac curtains – and Gaara proceeded to get dressed.

 _Naruto had said… blue marks… blue markings… just like the lady in her odd dream._ Shivers ran down her spine. “Uh, Doctor… Tsunade?” she tried, swallowing nervously as the woman peered through the slight gap in the curtains.

“Just call me Tsunade, brat,” she grumbled. “What is it?”

Gaara swallowed, her throat dry. “Uh, well… Did anyone come in last night… while I was unconscious?” she asked, heart pounding frantically in her chest. _Surely no intruders could sneak onto campus… and then she’d find out who those people were._ Maybe they were third years taking some sort of acting elective?

A masculine voice snorted. _“Don’t kid yourself,”_ her demon hissed, snickering at her all the while. _“It’s not becoming of the one who formed a link with me…”_

Tsunade paused. “Oh. Yes… Tobirama dropped by to check on your condition,” she said, smiling slightly. “You can ask him anything you want,” she continued, watching as Gaara drank the potion. _Obviously a nutrient one,_ judging by the taste. She’d had a few before, though they weren’t all that pleasant to consume. “You’ve got Runic Arts next, according to that idiot out there.”

“Hey!”

“No one else?” Gaara inquired, hands curling into fists.

Tsunade frowned. “No. Were you expecting someone to drop by?” She tilted her head, staring down at her, eyes lingering on her leg as she strode out from behind the curtains – ready for the rest of the day ahead of her. “You were unconscious anyway, so it’s unlikely anyone would’ve tried to call on you.” Gaara swallowed. “Are you alright?” she asked, peering closely at her, a hand pinching at her face. “You’re looking awfully peaky… Maybe you should stay—”

Gaara shook her head. “It’s nothing,” she said, pulling herself away. “I’ll be fine.”

“I’ll bring her right back if anything happens, Granny!” Naruto declared, grabbing her arm and linking it through her own. “Don’t you worry…”

Nodding, the blonde turned back to her work station, and then Gaara found herself being hauled down the corridors – back towards a familiar classroom. “Did I miss much?”

Waving a hand, Naruto continued to pull her towards the room connected to the one where that dreadful incident had occurred the evening before. “Nah. Professor Kurenai looked fairly worried though… I think I caught her crying before class. She blames herself a bit, since she chose what we were s’pposed to do for detention.”

"I'm sorry for worrying everyone. Naruto, there's so much I have to tell you." _Tsunade hadn't noticed anyone there, but Naruto might take her more seriously. The blonde was her best friend. Something strange was going on and that voice, she'd heard it again. Was it the Demon Lord talking to her?_ "A lot to tell you. I'll try to explain after class, but we should be going. We wouldn't want to be late." Gaara smiled at her friend as she gingerly stood on her leg, trying to keep the weight off of it as much as possible. "I don't think Sasuke will be in this class, so you won't be able to steal his seat." _It was nice to focus on that thought. Something normal… she'd deal with the strange intruders and everything else later._

“Most people were wondering where you were though,” Naruto said. “But they probably won’t say anything. That Nara guy just said _troublesome_ when I explained what’d happened. I think it’s kinda like Sasuke and his _hn-ing._ Our classmates are kind weird.” Reaching the door to the first years Runic Arts classroom, Gaara took a deep breath, walking in – keeping her eyes away from the door which led to the place where she’d wound up hurt. “And you’d better _spill_ whatever’s gotten you so freaked out, alright?” Naruto stared at her, blue eyes far too close for comfort. “Granny was right when she said you looked awfully pale.” Shaking her head, Naruto urged her into her seat, plopping herself down into her own only once Gaara had sat down fully.

"I guess they are kinda weird." Gaara offered Naruto a forced smile. _How would she know, though? She'd never been normal herself._ "And I promise I'll tell you." _She just hoped her friend wouldn't think she was crazy when she did._ Gaara sighed, sitting down and looking towards the board. It was going to be a long lesson. _But at least her leg no longer felt like it was on fire anymore._

* * *

Gaara blinked, her injured leg resting atop a cushion on top of the coffee table as she sat in the oddly comfy armchair inside Tobirama’s office. She hadn’t been expecting to be invited there, though she supposed it was something to do with the fact Naruto and most of the others of her class had _Youthful Exercise_ class for the rest of the day. Sparing a glance at her leg, Gaara tilted her head. _Maybe it was good for something,_ she mused, shrugging in the next second as she turned her attention back to the sealing book in her hands.

A pale finger landed on the page, pointing to some of the odd blobby shapes drawn in the book. “Those were the same as the red markings which landed you in this state,” Tobirama said, giving her another random snippet of information as he had been doing for the past half an hour. _There were only two and a half more hours left though._ “Though they were of a different colour, and there were a lesser amount of them, they’re still what resulted in your injury,” he informed her, pointing to the picture then of the cracked, weeping skin photographed. “It was rather lucky the student who drew this wasn’t all that familiar with this family of cursed seals… otherwise it would’ve been a lot worse.”

Gaara blinked in confusion. _She had gotten off easy?_ "Yeah… very lucky. Thank you, Professor Senju for staying with me. I don't think I could have handled _Youthful Exercise_ like this."

Tobirama scoffed. “I don’t know why they let Gai name that class,” he muttered, shaking his head. “Besides, it’s partially my fault you wound up this way. I should have been stricter with my instructions.” He shook his head again, glancing at her with those blank red eyes of his before he looked back at his work on his desk. Chewing on his lip, he glanced back at her again, scowling as he ran a hand through his hair. “Damn it all,” he hissed under his breath, planting himself down in the armchair opposite hers, staring at her determinedly. “Gaara,” he said, eyebrows furrowed. “Did your parents ever take you anywhere to have a seal placed on you? Or did they ever write on your skin in ink or blood, do you know?”

"I'm not sure either. He's very nice, but Professor Gai is… his work out routines are insane." There was no point in lying about the obvious. Tobirama's question caused Gaara to pause. Her nose scrunched up as she tried to remember. "As for father… I don't think so… but I don't know. My father never really took me anywhere and my mother died shortly after she had me."

“True,” he said. “And you have my apologies for bringing up such a topic…” Tobirama chewed on his lip again, shifting in his seat. “I doubt you were fully aware of this at the time, but when you stepped on the curse mark… you had an unusual reaction – which thankfully helped to lessen the damage, luckily enough for you,” he continued, staring at her intently. “I’ve never seen markings like those before… and, being a researcher, I was rather hoping you would let me search to see if I can figure out this blue curse marking.” He waved a hand at her. “It won’t be anything invasive. I just want to see if I can find the source with my sensory magic, but only if you give me your permission.”

It was odd to hear Professor Senju ask her permission for anything. A thousand possibilities swirl in her mind. This had to be serious if Tobirama of all people was being gentle about something. "It's alright. You didn't know and… sure. I'd like to know as well."

“Thank you,” he said, closing his eyes, and Gaara barely felt the hum of his magic over her own. It was quiet and discreet. The ticking of the clock was the only thing she could hear in the stillness of his office. “Huh…” Red eyes flickered open once more, the hum of magic fading as it retreated back to its wielder. “How odd,” he mumbled. “Gaara, did you perhaps call upon your demon yesterday? Even accidentally?”

"I don't think so, but I did use sleep magic accidentally. All I meant to do was to use my sand and maybe a little wind magic." She frowned, remembering it all too clearly. That was why she had gotten detention in the first place because she had 'attacked' Sasuke.

Tobirama frowned. “Sorry to ask this… but do you know exactly which demon you formed a contract with? And have you spoken about your agreement with them?”

"I don't know. I assume he's some kind of sand demon, though. He appeared in a desert." Gaara paused, considering it. _Was she really any closer to discovering her demon's identity than she had been before?_ "He likes the colour red and calls himself Demon Lord as well. I don't know if that helps."

His lips twitched. “Some demons have rather interesting personalities, don’t they?” he mumbled quietly, chuckling softly as he closed his eyes, leaning back in his armchair. “But seeing as you haven’t given me a specific type from the books, I’m guessing you’re completely clueless as to what clan or tribe your demon comes from,” he said. “Though I’ll give you some advice. Your demon likely either has a cursed seal marking on its body or has a considerable knowledge of cursed seals – possibly the runic arts in general. Personally, I’d bet on the latter. No demon clans which’ve been discovered have been known to have any kind of cursed seal placed on them.” He climbed back up to his feet, seating himself down on the other side of the room, busying himself in his paperwork as Gaara stared at the book in her hands.

"I don't have any idea." Gaara sighs. _She was a failure who knew nothing about her demon._ "I'm sorry. I'm trying to figure it out, but he's just not very forthcoming." The thought her demon might belong to a tribe hadn't occurred to her, but at least now she knew that he was good at seals. That was something. _Maybe even enough to narrow it down._

Tobirama just looked up from his work, tilting his head as she spoke, before he dropped his eyes back down onto his more important work – leaving her in silence. _Though it wasn’t quite silence with the way she could hear his pen scratching._

* * *

Gaara smiled, reclining in a lounger as she watched Naruto frolic in the water as though she hadn’t just been through a hellish _Youthful Exercise_ class. After a long day of mooching about in Professor Senju’s office and dealing with her leg injury it was nice to be able to relax with her friend. In a strange way, she was almost grateful for her injury. Gaara couldn't swim. She'd never needed to in the desert and Naruto was pretty animated in the water. Her best friend was also not shy about wearing an orange two-piece swimsuit. As a red head, Gaara avoided the colour like the plague, but it worked on Naruto, or so she decided as she watched her friend.

They weren't the only ones enjoying the Academy's pool, though. Many of their classmates were including Sasuke. Naruto hadn't spotted him yet and the Uchiha hadn't spied the blonde either. Gaara knew this because, other than a bunch of giggling from girls who had surrounded the boy, it was quiet. _She should have brought popcorn. When those two noticed each other it was bound to be an entertaining show._

“Gaara!” Naruto called, and she could only watch as Sasuke’s head snapped around lightning fast – only to jerk back as he caught an eyeful of the blonde pulling herself out of the water. “You wanna head back soon?” she asked, leaning over – careful not to drip any water over her bandaged leg. “I kinda dragged you here, and you’re looking tired. It’s probably lucky you weren’t in Gai’s class today.”

"Thanks, Naruto, but I'm okay. It's nice to relax here even if I don't think it's a good idea to try swimming with my leg." _Or to ever try swimming really. Water and sand didn't mix well._ "So, we can hang out here for a few more minutes." _Besides, the Uchiha had spotted a wild Uzumaki. Gaara might as well enjoy the show._

“But the bastard keeps staring at me weirdly and then looking away,” Naruto grumbled, and Gaara almost sighed in disappointment. _Apparently there would be no show just then,_ she mused, stowing away her mental popcorn for next time. “I was gonna get changed anyway. You wanna stay here longer than? We can chill on the deck chairs here for a bit longer, but it’s getting late…”

Gaara nodded then. "Yeah. Sure. Let's head back. I don't think it's a good idea for me to try swimming anytime soon on this leg," she said, lifting said limb as best as she could – only able to watch as Naruto hurried off into the changing rooms. She re-emerged five or so minutes later, and then they were on their way. Blonde hair glistened in the moonlight, damp despite Naruto’s assurances that she’d blow dried it somewhat. _She didn’t want her friend catching a cold if she could help it_ – not least because they were constantly in close proximity.

The hairs on the back of her neck pricked, the hooting of the campus owls almost making her jump as they trudged up the path to the sound of gravel crunching underneath their feet. Gaara looked around, shivering as she remembered who had visited her the night before. _Though nothing like that would happen again._ She wasn’t in the infirmary that time. Instead she was safely locked in her own dorm room, or so she thought as she closed the door to their room behind her – ensuring the lock was engaged before she flopped down on her bed.

Despite not having participated in Gai’s class, she felt utterly exhausted, and sleep beckoned to her with inviting arms and Gaara found herself quite quickly dozing off into dreamland. Sand flittered about her, the soft breeze whispering things in a language she couldn’t quite understand, the desert at her back making for an oddly comfortable mattress. Dimly, in the distance she thought she saw something moving – a shape she couldn’t quite work out. It was blurry, and much too far away for her to see. It hurt her eyes to keep staring at, so instead she simply turned around to face the desert stretching out in front of her – endless, like the sands of time. _An ocean of sand._ Blue sand drifted across her vision then, blobs blurring and moving in an odd harmony before—

_THUD!_

Gaara blinked, rubbing at her eyes as she stared at her alarm clock. _Two o’clock._ What was she doing waking up then? More importantly though… _what was that noise?_

“Idiot!” a voice hissed, and Gaara went dead still under her blankets. “You woke her up!”

A man swore. “What do we do?”

Rolling over, Gaara barely had time to take in the three people in her and Naruto’s room. _People who shouldn’t have been there._ People who were gathered around Naruto’s bed. _People who were holding a black cloth over Naruto’s nose and mouth_. Her heart stuttered, and her lips parted – a scream ready, but the woman’s words made her choke on them.

“Kill her.”

Metal flashed, moonlight glinting off the blade, and she could only screw her eyes shut as she felt the cold sting at her neck, then—

Gaara frowned, terror still flooding through her even as her body stopped shaking. _Why didn’t it hurt?_ She tilted her head, as if waiting for the pain to hit home. _Was she already dead? Had it been that fast?_

Her eyes opened of a will not her own, and Gaara blinked – feeling oddly disjointed as she stared through what had to be yellow-tinted lenses. _“You dare…?”_ Her lips moved, but it wasn’t her voice coming out… just as it wasn’t her moving her body out of its bed. _“To harm my contractor?”_

Sand was coating the blade which had struck at her throat, and more of it appeared then – as if pouring off her body. _Like her body was made of sand._ It swirled through the air, and Gaara could only blink. _She wasn’t in control._ The yellow particulates curled around them, surrounding the three intruders like a blanket. _A thick, almost suffocating blanket._

 _“Do you know what fate people like you meet?”_ that male voice inquired, and laughter bubbled from her twisted lips then. Fear curled in the pit of her stomach. _She had bound them there. Now all she had to do was summon the nearest professor or campus guard—_ Sand moved yet again, and Gaara swallowed, throat as dry as Suna as she found herself staring between three terrified adults as her hand moved up of its own volition. _Of her demon’s volition_. But… nothing would happen. It couldn’t. But the next word which slipped from her lips told her otherwise. A toothy grin split her lips, manic and possessed, and then the silence was broken by that one word. _“Death.”_

Her hand clenched of its own accord, and Gaara had a split second of perfect clarity – of perfect stillness and silence. She didn’t even hear the crunch of bone or the sound of sand grating on skin. _They were dead,_ she realised, just as something wet, sticky, and warm spattered across her face.

Soft snores broke the eerie tranquillity which fell as the yellow faded from her eyes.

Pain rang out from her knees, and Gaara could only blinked as she realised her legs had given way. She was on the floor, legs sprawled out underneath her. Her hands, having come forwards to catch her before she could topple face first onto the floor.

_It was sticky._

She lifted her hands, staring at the red sand covering them.

_It was so warm and sticky._

The air smelt like rust and death, and something pooled around her knees. Gaara looked down at the mangled, sand-covered body a few inches away from her.

_The world felt so far away._

Dimly, Gaara heard someone scream from far away. Blinking, she turned to the door – expecting someone to be there. Expecting someone to be screaming.

_Oh._

_Wait._

It was her.


	6. The Consequences

**Chapter V: The Consequences**

Tugging the blanket further around her shoulders, Gaara shivered. A cup was pressed into her shaking hands, hot and steaming, and she simply stared blankly down at the chocolatey liquid. _It was a pale brown colour. Nothing like the sticky red which had been coating her hands and legs an hour or so before._ Everything was moving so quickly.

She didn’t really remember how people had found them – probably something to do with why her throat felt so horribly raw. Gaara didn’t know how long she had been kneeling in that pool of blood either. Only that someone had found their way into their shared room and had promptly carted both her and Naruto off to the main building of the academy.

Gaara hadn’t seen Naruto since she had arrived, though someone had told her that she was in the infirmary. Who had told her, she wasn’t entirely sure. She felt blank. Numb. She wasn’t quite sure when her skin had been cleaned of the sticky red stains, nor when her clothes had been changed to her comfiest pyjamas, but they had – and now she was stuck in Professor Senju’s office, whilst Naruto was under guard in the infirmary.

 _The same place where those people had once gotten into._ Though she hadn’t been under guard then, or so Gaara reassured herself. _Naruto would be fine._ Naruto had to be fine.

“Do you have any idea of who those people were?” Tobirama asked. _Those people she’d killed._

Opening her mouth, words on the tip of her tongue, she choked, quickly sipping some of her sugary hot chocolate to wet her throat. _Only a monster would’ve been able to come around under the effects of the Dreamless Sleep Potion,_ a snide voice in the back of her head reminded her, and revulsion curled in her stomach. _Gaara wasn’t a monster._ She shook her head, eyes screwed shut. _She didn’t want to be a monster._

 _“So what do you define a monster as, dear contractor of mine?”_ a familiar voice resounded through her mind, and she almost spilt her hot chocolate down on the horribly clean white rug.

“I see…” Tobirama mumbled, those red eyes locked on her shivering form. _Red. Red like blood._ Gaara pulled her blanket closer, huddling down in the ocean blue fabric. _Blue was a nice colour. It was the same colour as those markings had been._ But blue reminded her of so-called Lord Demon… _and he’d been the one to help her kill those people._

 _“To protect you, ungrateful idiot,”_ he snarled, sounding as though he were whispering right by her ear. But that was all in her head. Only contractor and demon could talk to each other – unless the demon was summoned bodily to that realm and given form.

A knock at the door startled her, but Tobirama had evidently been expecting their next visitor. Gaara peered out from under the safety of her blanket, blinking as seafoam green met with black. He was pale, his hair slightly wild, though Gaara was struck by an uncanny resemblance to Sasuke. The man at the door definitely wasn’t Sasuke though. He was too tall, and his hair was that much longer – tied back into a ponytail with a small red ribbon. _Oddly girlish, but who was Gaara to judge?_

“Izuna…” Tobirama murmured in greeting, receiving a sharp nod in return. “What brings you here? Have things been sorted out?”

Chuckling, Izuna shook his head. “The paperwork is going to be a nightmare. Commander Namikaze will likely be sorting through the reports for a while…”

“You know he prefers you to call him _Minato_ ,” Tobirama said, clicking his tongue, and Gaara could only look back and forth between the pair of them as they continued their conversation.

“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt,” Izuna mumbled, rolling his eyes. “But the good news is that this _incident_ has been decided to be the academy’s fault. Intruders shouldn’t be able to get into this place, and students who haven’t even been here for a week shouldn’t be expected to defend themselves – or control their demon’s powers just yet.”

Tobirama closed his eyes. “I’m feeling a _but_ there.”

“ _But,”_ Izuna grumbled, glaring at the white-haired man sitting on the armchair opposite her own. “Miss Sabaku’s file has been updated… earlier than it would have been, given we’ve now discovered how lethal your demon’s powers can be,” he said, turning to her, expression grim. “Had you discovered this later, this wouldn’t be necessary, but the higher-ups have had a discussion. Given how you clearly have no control over your abilities just yet – or at least how they react unconsciously – it has been decided you need to have limiters.”

“Ah,” Tobirama murmured, chewing on his lip as he watched Izuna place the two cuffs on the table.

Gaara swallowed, staring at the silvery cuffs on the table. They couldn’t really be called bracelets, given she wouldn’t be able to remove them once they were on. There was a lock on them. _They were basically glorified handcuffs without the chain between them – that was reserved for the actual criminals._ Her shoulders sank, eyelids drooping as she stared at the ground. _She didn’t want to be there._ She wanted to be back in a place where criminals hadn’t broken into and tried to kill her. She wanted to go back before her sand had actually _killed_ someone.

_Sure she’d had a phase of injuring people with her sand when she was much younger and still getting the hang of her own powers…_

“Your wrists please,” Izuna said, and Gaara could only hold them out silently, her mug of hot chocolate steaming atop the coffee table.

There was a small click as they closed around her skinny wrists, silvery metal gleaming in the light of the room. _Just like the blade had gleamed in the moonlight._ A small crystal glowed red, a little sound escaping, and then Gaara knew they had been locked there. They were on her wrists to stay. _In order to supress her newfound powers to safer limits… where it couldn’t actually kill someone._

“Security has been upgraded,” Tobirama informed her, and Gaara stared at him blankly. “You won’t be in a situation where you need to defend yourself again until those are taken off.”

“Oh… and make sure you arrange for her to see someone,” Izuna mumbled, his voice quiet – but Gaara still heard. _Years of tiptoeing around her father came in handy._ “She looks… fairly traumatised.”

Tobirama glared at him witheringly. “ _Really_ now?” he drawled, shaking his head as Izuna left the room without another word.

Gaara wanted to argue against the limiters. _She wanted them off her wrists…_ weighing her down, and all but telling people what her magic was capable of. She felt like a criminal, _but that was probably because she was one,_ that same snide voice whispered _. She'd killed three people._ Well, _more specifically_ the demon had to protect her, but that didn't change the fact she'd done it. Her body had been moving, and she should’ve had some degree of control over it _. She was so weak, and she'd succumbed to the demon's desires without even realizing it._ Without a single degree of protest. _What if next time it wasn't some kidnappers? What if she hurt someone else? What if she hurt Naruto?_ Gaara felt like she was going to be sick _._ “I d-didn't mean to do it,” her voice sounded foreign to her own ears as her lips moved of their own volition. “I didn't mean to kill them… It-it just happened. They were going to hurt Naruto. They would’ve hurt her…” Her fingers came up to claw at her scalp – and the mark on her forehead which seemed to burn. “I'm sorry…”

 _But what could she really do or say to make up for the fact there was now blood on her hands?_ Her lack of control had allowed a demon to turn her into a serial killer. _Her father had been right about her all along._ A piece of dirt on the floor became all too interesting all of a sudden. _She really was some kind of monster. She should have been locked up in a cell somewhere at the very least, but they were going to let her continue her education like nothing had happened save for the limiters?_

“Don’t apologise,” Tobirama said, sighing quietly. “You did the best you could, and that’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Shaking his head, he stood, wandering over towards the window of his office. The sun was barely on the horizon, and Gaara felt slightly sleepy. _But if she dreamt the nightmares would come._ “Better you and that Uzumaki are still here, than to have you dead and Naruto missing…” he continued, voice soft. “You’ll be signed up for counselling at least once a week though, so just hold on until then. Tsuna will probably come and see you soon.”

 _Gaara thought this required more than once a week. Hell, she didn't think there was enough counselling in the world to make this better._ Still, she couldn't just come out and say that to Professor Senju of all people. _At least she wasn't going to prison._ "You're right. Yes, counselling. Maybe that will help."

Another knock at the door sounded, and Tsunade entered without even waiting for permission. “Ah. I’ll be heading off then,” Tobirama said, nodding to the blonde as he left them both alone in his own office.

* * *

_It wasn’t her fault._ Gaara recited those words in her head like a mantra, blocking out the snide voice which tried to tell her otherwise. _If she hadn’t done anything then either she’d be dead or Naruto would have been kidnapped._ Her footsteps echoed in the empty hallways. Classes had been called off until Monday, meaning she had the rest of the week and the weekend to try and wind herself down. _Ready to face the rest of the academy on Monday._ Her hands shook at the thought. _It would be fine,_ she told herself. _It wasn’t her fault._

“Gaara…” Naruto’s voice greeted her when she finally walked into the infirmary. “Hey.”

"Hey." Gaara looked up at Naruto. She could see the worry reflected in those stunning blue irises. Naruto had the type of face where her every emotion was broadcast through her expression and right now, her friend was worried about her. For good reason. She still couldn't believe any of that had happened. "Are you okay? They didn't manage to hurt you, did they...before everything?" _Before she'd turned into an accidental killer._

 _It wasn’t her fault,_ she reminded herself, reminding herself of her recent meeting with Tsunade. _One of what would become many_.

“I’m fine,” Naruto said, smiling sheepishly. “Granny fixed me right up. It was only something to knock me out… Granny also… filled me in on everything. So I think I’ve got something to say, neh?” She tilted her head, and Gaara swallowed. _Was this the part where they stopped being friends?_ Arms wrapped around her, Naruto resting her chin on her shoulder. “Thanks, Gaara.”

Gaara's eyes widened. Whatever she had been expecting Naruto to say, that wasn't it. "You're not scared of me?"

“We’re best friends, silly,” Naruto declared proudly. “Don’t look so surprised. ‘Sides, you’re my hero!”

"I'm your hero?" Gaara tilted her head. Naruto's reaction made no sense to her. "Well, I'm glad. You really are my best friend, Naruto." She smiled despite everything.

“Damn straight,” Naruto said, nodding. “But… seeing as classes have been cancelled for now… how about we head over to the library? I wanna find some more books on seals… and you probably want to find out more about your demon. Y’know, since you now know there’s a sleeping element to your magic…” She shrugged, pushing herself up and out of the bed. “Though I think we might have some tagalongs,” she said, waving her hand at the three sharply dressed people hovering about in the room.

"Sure. The library..." Gaara glanced at the three guards. _She probably should have seen that coming._ "Hopefully, we'll be able to find something." _Before she killed someone again._

Following the scent of books turned out to be fairly easy. It was a smell Gaara loved – the scent of a new book as she opened it for the first time, ready to escape from the world for a few hours. She loved the worn books too, the ones which were her favourites and had seen many reads in their time. Books were her best friends, which meant Gaara was more than happy inside a library. She was more than happy to immerse herself in reading too, even if the topic was delving into something she was slowly starting to think wouldn’t be a good idea to uncover.

Her demon was dangerous, and it was more than willing to kill someone for _his—_

 _“Our,”_ her demon corrected, the rumble in the back of her mind far more familiar than she supposed it ought to have been. _Did demons often speak with their contractors?_ Her brow furrowed. _And were they usually the ones to initiate the conversation?_ From what she thought she could remember, it took a lot of power on the demon’s side to initiate the link outside of meditation. _“Hmm,”_ her demon rumbled, a contemplative edge to his voice. _“Now there’s a thought…”_

Gaara blinked at the note of pride in the voice.

“We should probably try and find out more about your demon,” Naruto said, interrupting her thoughts. “I dunno ‘bout you, but I’d wanna get those things off my wrists sooner rather than later… and the only way that’ll happen is if you get your powers under control.”

Nodding, Gaara made her way towards the ‘Sand Demon’ section of the library. She didn’t feel like talking too much right then – it was like invisible weights were weighing her down, and she couldn’t muster up the energy to talk. Besides, Naruto could speak enough for the both of them.

“Neh, how about we look through these today,” Naruto said, reminding her they had the entire day ahead of them. “Then if we can’t find anything we can always go to visit my clan compound tomorrow – we have a bigger range of books there… since the Uzumaki are a fairly old clan, so there might be more info there on rarer demons… ‘specially when it comes to sealing. My family is awesome when it comes to that… so if ya wanna find good books about demon clans with sealing knowledge, we’ll probably have a few this place doesn’t.” Naruto grinned, scratching the back of her head all the while. “Though we should get through all of these first,” she said, running her fingers along the spines of the thick, heavy hardbacked books. “More variety here.”

"That'd be perfect. Thank you so much, Naruto. I don't know what I would do without you." _She'd be completely lost._ Gaara needed to find out which tribe or clan her demon came from. She needed to learn to control that power. Sure, she had gotten Naruto's kidnappers last time, _but what about next time?_ She might attack an innocent person.

Naruto puffed out her chest, a big smile on her face as she began to collect books on sand demons. Though Gaara couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty – Naruto should have been researching her own demon abilities… shouldn’t she? Chewing on her lip, Gaara shook her head. _Naruto wanted to help._ Her eyes flickered down to her wrists – where those _shackles_ sat. She could hardly help but notice their slight weight. The way the metal felt cool against her skin. The way they moved when she reached up to grab a book from the shelves.

“Not those ones,” Naruto remarked, waving a hand over at the books she stood in front of. “Those are all ‘bout weaker demons… and I kind think yours is gonna be a lot stronger than that.”

Inside her mind, Gaara could feel the hum of pride radiating from her demon, and she rolled her eyes as she imagined a sandy blob preening at her friend’s words.

"Stronger and more… colourful." Gaara continued looking with Naruto. If nothing else, she knew her demon liked having its ego stroked. "When he does talk, he's got the type of personality you can't ignore." _Or at least Gaara assumed it was her demon talking._

Naruto tilted her head, contemplation written all over her face as she looked at the piles of books in her hands. “Probably from a strong clan then… those types tend to have _big_ egos.” Carrying all she could fit in her arms, she made her way back to the table they had sat at many times before. It was starting to become _their_ table.

"That would make sense. We'll start with the clan types." Gaara smiled as she looked at some of the new books. Her heart swelled with hope, and a warm feeling that only Naruto had succeeded in evoking from her. _So, this was what friendship felt like._


	7. The Clan

**Chapter VI: The Clan**

_It would be a good idea to get a break,_ Tobirama had told her earlier with a smile as she and Naruto had barged into his office, her dear friend being determined to have her way – her way being a short trip back to her clan compound on the other side of the village of Konohagakure. Maybe that was why he had approved and had forwarded them the classwork they would be missing on their few days away.

Gaara knew they had only got away as such because of the really rather stressful events of the last week or so. Had they been anyone else, or anytime sooner, then they would have been denied a relaxing trip to the Uzumaki Compound. _Though,_ Gaara mused, eyeing her dear friend with a sidelong glance, _she wasn’t exactly sure it would be entirely relaxing._

Naruto was a whirlwind, which she thought was rather appropriate, upon finally noticing the red spiral marking on her back which was in fact her clan’s insignia – just how the Uchiha had their red and white uchiwa. Sabaku wasn’t the name of a clan. Just a simple family line, who more often than not had a propensity for sand, gold dust, or wind-related demons. _Admittedly her older brother’s demon was a bit of an outlier._ One which had turned their father’s attention away from him.

Gaara quashed the sliver of jealousy which threatened to bubble in the pit of her stomach at the thought. _Oh how she wished she could have had a quiet life…_ Sighing quietly, she sat next to Naruto as the train rattled over the tracks, carrying them across the village. It wasn’t too long of a ride, or so Naruto had informed her, and Gaara had no doubts they would be arriving soon enough. They had left mid-afternoon, and so there would be plenty of time for Naruto and her to settle into their temporary accommodation for their time there.

“You’ll love it!” Naruto declared, pulling her attention back to the conversation at hand. “Mum’s cooking is _the_ best!”

Gaara licked her lips. Home cooking hadn’t always been the nicest, but if Naruto said that much… She tilted her head, mulling the thought over. _Surely it couldn’t be too terrible._ “Well, it sounds lovely,” she said then, sinking back into the plush seat as she waited for the train to bring them to their destination. “I don’t think there’s as much variety in Suna as there is here…”

“You do at least have ramen over there, don’t you?” Naruto asked, looking oddly panicked at the thought of no ramen.

She chuckled then, a smile cracking at her lips. _She liked smiling, and Naruto always seemed to be able to make her happy with alarming ease._ “Of course we have ramen, Naruto,” she said. “We aren’t savages, you know.”

Naruto blinked, and then a smiled bloomed on her face as she burst out into laughter. “Good one, ‘Ra,” she mumbled, a mirthful grin on her lips as the announcement of their station rang out through the train car. “Yatta! We’re here!”

“We’re not even in the station yet,” Gaara remarked, gesturing for her friend to sit down – lest their luggage fall down onto their heads as she tried to pull the small cases down.

Pouting, she sat back down, content to remain in her seat until the train finally came to a stop. Only then did she leap out of her seat to yan their luggage down from the overhead rack. “C’mon. The walk from here isn’t too far,” she said, all but pulling Gaara and her suitcase behind her as she strode out of the station and onto unfamiliar streets.

The roads were cobbled, made only for pedestrians, narrow and winding as they were. Bollards marked the road in places, and dimly, Gaara could hear the hubbub of traffic in the distance, but it was relatively quiet where she was. Buildings towered over her, narrow and conjoined, the same dusty brick colouring making up the entirety of the buildings surrounding her. They cast long shadows, and Gaara sighed at the cool breeze. _So different to the climate of Suna._ Gaara thought she might prefer it there – out of her father’s grasp, and without the sweltering summers she had slowly gotten used to.

Her suitcase rattled behind her on the uneven stone, arm aching ever so slightly at the strain of trying to balance both herself and her small case, but Gaara thought the part of Konoha she was in was rather… quaint. It had its charm, even if it different greatly from the wide streets and bustling traffic which was what was common in Konoha Proper. Even the breeze tasted different—

Gaara blinked. “Why can I taste salt on the breeze?”

Naruto turned then, grin creeping across her face. “Ah. Well, Konoha is situated far within the mainland… but we Uzumaki didn’t always reside here, dattebayo!” she said, face animated as she explained why exactly Gaara could taste what she presumed to be the sea. She had never seen it, but she had read plenty of books describing the place.

_Sparkling, cool waves, shimmering under the golden light of the sun—_

“We used to live in a place called Uzushio… it was another city,” she continued, a frown pulling at her lips. “It was destroyed a long time ago. Most people don’t like to talk ‘bout it, and so the only way to learn is to read a load of _boring_ history scrolls. Long story short, the place was destroyed, and we moved to Konoha for safety… but Uzushio used to be by the sea, and my people missed it… so a while back my clan figured a way – using our runic arts – to create a _mock_ sea.”

“Your clan… created a sea?” Gaara asked, frowning then. “How is that even possible?”

“Neh.” Naruto waved her free hand. “It’s more of lake, but it’s saltwater, fairly large, and it’s got waves on it, so we all call it a _mock_ sea.” A smile settled on her face – a wistful one. It didn’t look right on Naruto’s face. “It’s got nothing on the real thing apparently.” She rubbed at the back of her neck, looking slightly sheepish. “I wanna go and see the real thing one time… maybe visit the ruins of Uzu… but ‘pparently it’s overrun by dark creatures.”

“Dark creatures…” Gaara echoed, remembering childhood tales and Yashamaru’s soft voice as he read them out to her. “The darkness beyond the mountains…”

“Mmh. Those’re the ones,” Naruto chirped, leading her up the slope, which eventually flattened out to reveal a wall. It wasn’t any ordinary wall though. Nothing like the ones they had passed before, made of cobbled stone. There were no bumps on this one, for starters. It was perfectly smooth as far as Gaara could tell, and it was littered with marble and mosaics. Fenceposts were lined with little black tiles, segmenting the wall into many different canvases. _And the Uzumaki had really gone to town with the designs, using tile and glass to make numerous different patterns._ Only two sections of the wall were identical – the ones on either side of the archway, depicting the Uzumaki spiral on a bed of neatly aligned white tiles. The same insignia was emblazoned above the archway offering entrance to what Gaara presumed to be the Uzumaki Compound.

“I guess we are here then,” Gaara said, blinking as she tried to take in the enormity and magnificence which was the home of the Uzumaki. The streets widened up past the archway, the paving made of slabs of concrete lining a smoother cobblestone road. Every now and then, a decorative tile cropped up beneath her feet, but she was more focused on where abouts Naruto was dragging her to over the decoration of the compound around here. _There were brightly coloured lanterns everywhere._ Red and white seemed to be favoured colours, Gaara noted, blinking as their destination became obvious.

The building was more towards the outskirts of the compound, a sparkling _mock_ sea stretching out a short distance behind it, far away from the tall tower-building set in the very heart of the compound – the one which had a flag attached to the post at the top, the Uzumaki spiral fluttering in the salty breeze which blew through the place.

“This is my house,” Naruto said, opening the gate which encircled a small garden. It creaked when Gaara pulled it to behind the both of them. Curious, she glanced around, only to recognise some of the herbs growing there in the small garden. “Mum’s home, just to warn you.”

“Oh.” Gaara blinked, unsure as to why that required a warning as such. “Okay…”

The reason soon became obvious. Uzumaki Kushina was far too similar to her daughter. She was a whirlwind of energy, and Gaara was swept up in a hug immediately after she crossed the threshold of the building which turned out to be a mix of circular and square rooms. Haphazard. That was the word to describe the house.

“Welcome to our home!” Kushina declared merrily, and Gaara could only blink as she tried to process exactly what had happened.

“Mum!” Naruto whined. “Stop. Look…” Azure blue eyes cropped up in her vision then, far too close for comfort. “You broke her!”

“Sorry.” Kushina smiled sheepishly, and Gaara knew in an instant who Naruto took after with her facial expression, even if not in colouring. Gaara looked more like her friend’s mother in colouring than Naruto did. “I’m just _super_ glad you decided to befriend this lump over here, dattebane!”

“Mum!”

“You girls hungry?” Kushina asked, completely ignoring her daughter’s moan of embarrassment. “I’m about to dish out dinner… You had good timing.”

Naruto blinked at that, her mood doing a complete turnaround. “Food?”

“Set the table, Naru,” Kushina ordered, ducking back into the room Gaara assumed to be the kitchen, licking a bit of red sauce off her thumb as she did so. “Oh.” Her head popped back around the door moments later, purplish blue eyes locking on her seafoam green ones. “You can help her if you want, or feel free to take a seat at the table,” Kushina instructed. “I wouldn’t ask a guest to do anything they didn’t want to.”

Gaara blinked for what had to be the hundredth time. “Okay,” she mumbled weakly, feeling oddly as though the rug had been swept from under her feet. _Uzumaki were scary and obnoxiously loud,_ she decided right then and there. _But she liked them anyway._

* * *

Dinner was something she had never tried before, and she presumed it to be an Uzumaki dish – those suspicions were confirmed by Kushina soon after, which put one puzzle to rest. It was just the three of them eating there, with no sign of Naruto’s father. Though, judging by the reactions of Naruto and her mother, that was something of a common occurrence. The mother-daughter pair certainly made up for the missing noise.

The sun had set completely by the time they finished, and Naruto ran on up to ready their room they were sharing at her insistence. Which left her alone with Kushina for the first time since they had met. Silence hung in the air, heavy and awkward, and Gaara swallowed. “I will just go on up,” she said, making to hurry up the rickety stairs Naruto had vanished up a few minutes before.

Arms wrapped around her from behind then, and Gaara spun just in time to get a mouthful of red – not her own – hair. “I heard what you did for my daughter,” Kushina murmured, sounding far more serious than she had during their casual conversation earlier.

Gaara stiffened in her arms. _She knew her hands were bloodied. She knew she had killed. She ought to have thought she was a monster—so why was Kushina hugging her?_ A whimper wanted to escape her throat then, but she repressed it. Just as she had repressed them many a times before back in Suna. _Her homeland._

“Thank you,” she whispered, hands shaking even as Kushina continued to embrace her, despite the stiffness of her limbs. “Thank you…”

Kushina let go then, purplish eyes locking with those seafoam green ones yet again, and Gaara swallowed at the weight behind that stare. “You’re… welcome.” The words left her mouth almost automatically, politeness having been drilled into her by her father.

The older woman simply smiled, tucking a stray lock of red hair back behind her ear. “Uzumaki never forget their debts,” she said, closing her eyes, vanishing back into the kitchen seconds later. _Where the washing up waited for her._ “You will always be welcome in this house, Gaara.”

Those words followed her, even as she stumbled up the stairs, heart pounding in her chest as she struggled to run up. _To run away from that scarily warm feeling which had settled over her heart._ Gaara had never felt that before. Not to that extent. Shaking her head, she resumed her search for her friend’s room. The door to Naruto’s room was easy enough to find though – it having her name written on it, and Gaara knocked then, wanting to hide herself away within.

“Come in!” Naruto’s voice came from within, and hesitantly Gaara opened the door, uncertain as to what she’d find within.

The ceiling was high. That was the first thing Gaara noticed, noting how there seemed to be another floor to it, with a half-wall concealing what lay above – and it was from that half wall which Naruto stuck her head over.

“Up here,” she said, and Gaara noticed the carpeted stairs leading up to the upper section. She presumed it was where they were sleeping, given the lack of beds on the lower half. Her eyes roamed over the desk, the unused bookshelf, before they finally fell on the paintings. Art and crafts seemed to be one of the Uzumaki’s many talents. “Those were painted by Uncle Arashi!” Naruto called, and Gaara blinked as she noticed Naruto having figured out where her attention had gone to.

Gingerly, Gaara touched at the edge of the canvas, staring at the picture of a fox. _A kitsune?_ Gaara mused, staring at the nine tails wafting behind the proud creature painted within the frame’s confines. Naruto’s uncle hadn’t just painted one though, and Gaara felt herself looking at the strange array of creatures painted and hung on Naruto’s walls. It was easy enough to see a pattern to them. There were nine painting in total, each painting showing a decreasing number of tails until the final—

She stared at the beige creature, staring – really staring – at the splotchy dark blue markings. They were… _familiar._ “Naruto!” she called, glancing back at her blonde-haired friend, pointing at the painting in front of her. “What… manner of being is this?”

Feet thudded on the stairs, and Naruto hummed as she came into view once more. “Oh,” she mumbled. “Uncle Arashi had a big obsession with The Nine a while back. Mum likes to tease him sometimes,” Naruto said, grinning unrepentantly. “That’s the one considered to be the weakest of them. The One-Tail. Shukaku.”

“Shukaku,” Gaara murmured. _The name sounded right for some reason._ “What even are The Nine?”

“Oh, guess they aren’t talked about much…” Naruto said, chewing on her lip. “They’re demons. Powerful ones.”

Her heart pounded then, and her eyes narrowed. “Do they contract with people?” she asked, eyes practically boring a hole in the painting of sandy beige and dark blue.

“Not to my knowledge,” Naruto said, shrugging like she hadn’t just turned Gaara’s world upside-down. “They’re _bigshots_ in the demon world, or something like that… They’re only usually summoned by like… cults or something. Not by individuals. Well, that’s what uncle told me, anyway.”

Gaara tore her eyes away from the yellow ones marred by cross-like pupils.

“Why the sudden interest?” Naruto questioned, eyebrow raised in curiosity.

“No reason.” Gaara shrugged. _Her demon couldn’t be anything like that._ She wasn’t big-headed enough to think she could have managed to contract with a demon like that, and she was hardly going to admit to entertaining such an idea. The last thing she wanted to do was come across as a pompous git. “Just thought the painting looked cool.”


End file.
